Dragon Wings
by drakangrl9
Summary: Sequel to Wolf's Paws. Rayanne is getting used to life as the shape shifters' queen. Unfortunately, it's turning out to be a tough time. Old friends are in danger, an old enemy reappears, and an ancient darkness now hunts her.
1. Chapter 1

**Dragon Wings**

**Prologue: All's Well**

Rayanne lay on her back, staring at the clouds. It had been a long, hard day in the Shape Shifter's Court. The dog clan and the bird clan had been fighting for months about the agreements between their two clans. It had gotten so bad they had gone to the royal court to settle the matter. As queen, it had been up to Rayanne to make the final decision. Finally, a treaty had been drawn up and signed, and finally there was peace.

"Rough day?" came a familiar voice. Rayanne turned to face her old captain, Sajin Komamura.

"Oh! Captain Komamura!" she said, sitting up.

"Your Majesty," he responded, bowing.

Rayanne felt weird seeing that, even after all this time. He'd been her captain, and all of a sudden the shape shifters had made their presence in the Soul Society known, made Rayanne their queen after discovering that she was the lost heir to the throne, and now all the captains were bowing to her. It was very disconcerting. Especially with Byakuya and Soi Fon.

"Please, forget the formalities. Just call me Rayanne," Rayanne said, smiling. "Can I do anything for you? Here, come and sit with me."

Komamura sighed as he sat down beside her, gazing from the hill out over the forest. Rayanne studied him for a few seconds. It had been nearly two years since the Winter War, but the seventh division captain still missed Tosen deeply. Kyoraku and Ukitake had been quick to lend a hand to their comrade, helping him get his feet under him. The three were good friends now. However, as far as Komamura was concerned, Rayanne had been the one who had pushed him forward and gotten him back on his feet. She'd seen him standing alone at her coronation celebration, and had stayed and talked with him. Komamura had found himself visiting the palace frequently some weeks afterward, and the two had become fast friends. Rayanne had even introduced him to the shape shifter's world (not the political part). She'd shown Komamura her wolf form, spoken with him about how different her perception of the world was when she shifted, and had introduced him to her shape shifter friends. Granted, losing Tosen had left a hole in his heart, but Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Rayanne and the shape shifters had made that hole much smaller.

"How are things in the Seireitei?" Rayanne asked.

"Quite well. Your friend Rukia may be promoted soon," Komamura replied.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Rayanne grinned.

"You should visit. She misses you. We all do," Komamura said. It was Rayanne's turn to sigh.

"I wish. I just settled a dispute between two clans, and some others are questioning my lineage and right to rule."

"Still?" Komamura asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Rayanne answered. "That and rumors are trickling in that a certain ex-serpent lord has been seen in the east."

Lord Ayamoshi, former head of the serpent clan, had tried to kill Rayanne on numerous occasions to keep her from becoming queen. He'd been exiled from the forest and the surrounding towns, but that didn't keep him from stirring up trouble.

"Your Majesty!" came a screech from above. A transformed shifter, a blackbird, landed on Rayanne's shoulder. "Queen Amenaki! Lord Ryukin wishes to speak with you."

Rayanne exhaled slowly. "Aya, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Rayanne? And since when do you volunteer to carry messages?"

Pause.

"Is this about a boy?" Rayanne grinned. She knew Aya had a crush on one of the messenger boys.

"Erm... well... um.. hey, what's Komamura doing here?" Aya asked, not too discreetly avoiding the question.

"I'm just visiting. I should be heading back to the Seireitei soon," Komamura replied, smiling at Aya's avoidance of Rayanne's question. Rayanne smiled, too. Another good thing about him, she thought, is the fact that I don't have to translate when one of my transformed friends says something. Ah, well. Back to the salt mines.

xxXXxx

"Hey," Eran said as Rayanne headed up to her rooms.

"Eran! What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!" Rayanne said, hugging him hard, then blushing and turning away slightly.

"We've been fighting. I mean, we got a short break up until a few weeks ago, but now it's obvious that Ladin has been holding back. Just yesterday he and Shannon were fighting, and..." Eran trailed off, biting his lip.

"What?" Rayanne asked. When Eran kept silent, her anxiousness welled up in her chest. "What happened, Eran?"

Eran sighed. "It was bad, Rayanne, really bad. Some of us thought she was dead for a few seconds, she was hurt so badly."

"What, did he stab her?" Rayanne asked.

"Tore her to pieces is more like it. She was covered in blood and could hardly stand. Some of the cuts went to the bone," Eran said, shuddering at the memory.

Rayanne sat down heavily on a barrel. Shannon was her mentor and best friend, witty, strong-willed, powerful and a competent leader besides. Her getting injured so badly in a fight was a very bad sign.

"How is she?" Rayanne asked softly.

"She's going to be fine. You know how she heals," Eran said. "How're you doing?"

Rayanne smiled bitterly. "Ayamoshi's raising an army against me."

**First chapter posted! Sorry for the long wait. For those of you who just dove in, yes, this is a sequel. You have to read Wolf's Paws, or you won't have a clue who a lot of the characters are or what's going on.**


	2. Getting out of Work

**Chapter 1:**

**Getting out of Work**

"Hey!" Rayanne called, waving as she stepped into the clearing. The clearing's other occupants turned and gave shocked exclamations.

"Rayanne!" Momo cried, running over and wrapping her in a tight hug. "What are you doing here?" Rayanne laughed.

"Come on, Momo, it's your birthday! Of course I took the day off." Rayanne drew a neatly wrapped package from beneath her cloak. She grinned. "Besides, it's an excuse for me not to wear a dress or a crown."

Momo smiled up at her and hugged her again. Rayanne handed her the package. Momo looked at it in surprise.

"Oh, thank you, Rayanne! You didn't have to get me anything! Really, you're so busy, you shouldn't be spending your time getting me a present," Momo said.

Rayanne smiled. Momo had certainly grown more sure of herself in the past year. "Momo," she said, "I'm a queen. I can make time. Or I can boss other people around, and tell them to do it."

"Not that you do any of that," Aya said from behind Rayanne.

"She's just nice like that. What did you get?" Rangiku said, peering over Momo's shoulder.

"Rangiku!" Captain Hitsugaya said sharply.

"What?" Rangiku asked her captain.

"Good luck with getting her to settle down, Hitsugaya," Captain Ukitake laughed, coming to join them with Rukia in tow. "Hello, Rayanne! How's it going?"

"Rayanne!" Rukia cried, practically knocking the other girl over when she hugged her.

"Getting better," Rayanne answered Ukitake, slightly winded.

"I told him about the trouble between the dog and bird clans And the rebellion," Komamura said.

"Rebellion?" Rukia said, shocked.

"Ouch," Miyame stated.

"Oh, an uppity ex-serpent lord whose head is too big for his shoulders," Rayanne said with an airy wave of her hand.

"Oh, wow!" Momo exclaimed, having opened Rayanne's gift. Nestled in cotton was a necklace. It had a silver chain and a single pendant, a dragon and a unicorn. The unicorn was rearing and the dragon had its tail wrapped around its companion's body. Their bodies faced opposite directions, but the two turned their heads to face one another. A green emerald rested between the tip of the unicorn's horn and the dragon's nose. Beneath the necklace lay a bracelet, with a standing wolf pendant. The bracelet itself was made of woven threads.

"They're gorgeous," Momo breathed. She touched the bracelet and felt the softness of the threads. "Oh, it's so soft! Feel this, Toshiro!"

"That's Captain Hitsugaya!" the little captain said. But he complied. "It is soft."

"Ooh! I wish I had a pillow made of this stuff!" Rangiku said, also feeling the bracelet.

"What is this material?" Rukia asked when she was handed the bracelet.

"Wolf fur," Rayanne answered, grin broadening slightly.

"Guess where that came from," Aya said.

Everyone looked up from the jewelry and looked at Rayanne. She just smiled. Aya rocked back on her heels and whistled, looking at the sky.

"You?" Komamura asked, surprised.

"Let's just say I'm not going running near fallen dead trees any time soon," Rayanne said.

"Well, it did give you material for the band," Aya reminded her. Seeing everyone's puzzled looks, she clarified. "Rayanne made those herself."

"Really?" Momo asked.

"How long did that take you?" Rangiku inquired.

"The pendants took about three weeks. The necklace chain I finished in a few days, and the bracelet band took an afternoon and the fur off Wolf's right shoulder," Rayanne answered.

"Thank you, Rayanne. Thanks so much!" Momo said, running forward and hugging her friend again. Rayanne returned it, breathing in Momo's scent as she did so. Happiness was overwhelming, and appreciation and fondness were pretty apparent as well. The party progressed wonderfully from there. Rayanne, Aya, Momo, Rukia, Miyame, Rangiku, Komamura and Ukitake managed to drag Byakuya into a game of freeze tag when he and Renji finally appeared per Rukia's request. That turned out to be a bad decision, because he was next to impossible to catch and won soon after he became it. Captain Kyoraku appeared with Nanao, and he suggested that they play sharks and minnows. The soul reapers soon discovered it wasn't a good idea to dub a shape shifter it. The second they started running, they found themselves tripping... over hedgehogs. While the soul reapers emitted shocked cries, Rayanne and Aya collapsed laughing. Their new hedgehog friends tittered with them, having apparently greatly enjoyed themselves. Blob tag came next, and soon Rayanne and Aya were running for their lives when everyone but them had been tagged (and they were intent on revenge for the hedgehog trick). Byakuya and Toshiro sat by and watched most of this, but when the two shape shifters ducked behind them, they were swept up in the middle of it. By the end of the day everyone was worn out (especially Rayanne, Aya and Rangiku, who had been trying to get Byakuya to smile). Soon the friends separated and went their own ways. After a few minutes, Rayanne and Momo were the only ones left in the clearing.

"When can I see you again?" Momo asked her friend. "Captain Komamura told me you were going east to see to the... rebellion."

"Yes. I'm probably going to be gone for a couple weeks, possibly a month," Rayanne said. "Hopefully we can just nip this thing in the bud and it won't be too big of a problem."

"I'll miss you," Momo said, hugging Rayanne tightly.

"I'll miss you, too," Rayanne said. "It's getting late. You probably should be heading back. I heard you guys have a lot of paperwork to do."

"Oh, no! I completely forgot I have to fill out the forms for the new students!" Momo exclaimed.

Rayanne laughed. "Good luck with that."

"Good-bye, Rayanne! Good luck!" Momo called, waving as she ran back toward the Seireitei.

"Good-bye, Momo!" Rayanne called as her friend disappeared into the trees. She knelt by a pond at the edge of the clearing. It was high time she bespoke the dragons and the Guardians to see what was going on in the mountains. Lying flat on her stomach, Rayanne touched the clear surface of the pond with her hand. As she raised herself to her knees, however, she felt a strange prickling sensation on the back of her neck. She tensed. Something was wrong.

"Hello, Rayanne," said a smooth and terrifyingly familiar voice. Rayanne stood and whirled, barely keeping a startled growl back.

"Aizen!" she gasped. "What are you doing here? And how did you get out?" her voice became so low it was nearly a growl. The traitorous captain laughed.

"Is that any way to speak to someone you haven't seen for nearly two years?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe it is. Particularly if you never liked them," Rayanne answered, looking discreetly for an escape route.

"Petulant as ever," Aizen said, smiling. When he moved, Rayanne moved too. She flash stepped into the trees, knowing she couldn't outrun him and instead looked for a hiding spot. She gave a pained yelp when she was knocked to the ground, stunned.

"I would think you would know better, Rayanne," Aizen said, kneeling by her. Rayanne tried to bolt, but no such luck. She gave a strangled cry when Aizen gripped her throat and pressed. She thrashed and fought for breath, but her captor held her too firmly. Blackness danced on the edges of her vision, and Rayanne was soon unconscious.


	3. Been Here Before

**Chapter 2:**

**Been Here Before**

When Rayanne regained consciousness, she kept her eyes closed. She was aware that she was tied down, secured by ropes on her wrists and ankles. Keeping her breathing even, she allowed the scents in the room to reach her. Aizen had been here, and Gin was here now, right next to her. If you went by what she'd been told about the Winter War, that made absolutely no sense. Gin, Tosen, and all the Espadas were supposed to be dead. Warily, Rayanne opened her eyes.

"Rayanne! You're awake!" Gin said. Rayanne winced.

"Not so loud," she muttered.

"I wasn' that loud!" Gin protested.

"You were right next to my ear!" Rayanne retorted. She glanced around at the room they were in. She was lying on a bare table, and that was basically all that was in the place, save for a single window. And the door which opened a second later, and Aizen entered.

"How are you feeling, Rayanne?" he asked.

"Been better," Rayanne answered briskly. Her vision swam as her frustration quickly turned to anger, which was slowly molting into rage. Wolf roiled inside her, and Rayanne wasn't entirely certain she could hold her back. Suddenly she realized she had no intention of doing so. Rayanne's hands clenched into fists as the pain intensified and Wolf began to step forward. Unfortunately for her, Aizen recognized the signs of the change.

"Gin," he said. Gin immediately stepped forward and gently tilted Rayanne's head to the side, exposing her neck. Rayanne closed her eyes and struggled against his hold, a frustrated, frightened whine finding its way past her lips. She felt something prick her neck, and realized Aizen had injected her with something. With a start, she felt herself weakening. Wolf whined, feeling the same thing. Gin released Rayanne, and she turned her head to look questioningly at Aizen. He smiled.

"Don't worry. It's only a sedative."

Rayanne glared at him. "Thanks. Could you do me a favor?"

"Oh?" Aizen asked, amusement showing both in his smile and his eyes.

Rayanne was half-tempted to say 'go to hell', but got the sense that that wouldn't fly so well with her captor. Instead she asked, "How did you get out? How are Gin, Tosen and the arrancars still alive? And what possible use could you have for me?"

"I think you can figure that out for yourself," Aizen answered.

Rayanne was about to make a rather sharp response when she suddenly fround herself pondering Aizen's answer. Her eyes widened a bit when she realized the answer.

"An illusion," she muttered. "The whole fight was an illusion."

Aizen nodded approvingly. "Correct. The Espada, Tosen, Gin and I observed the battle from a distance. I was surprised to see that you didn't appear as you had previously. I was glad that you stayed away, otherwise I may have been forced to kill you."

Rayanne easily caught the underlying 'what were you up to' in that statement. She kept her mouth shut about that, and instead asked, "Why didn't you? You've gone to the trouble of catching me and locking me up multiple times. Why?"

"Are you so eager to die?" Aizen questioned, gazing into her eyes.

"I'm confused by your reasoning. What do you gain from keeping me alive? I've been nothing but a nuisance since I got wound up in this mess," Rayanne replied.

"You should know the answer to your questions, Rayanne," Aizen said softly. "Think about it. Why would I go to the trouble of bringing you back here, even after the Winter War, and considering what I know about you now?"

Rayanne's breath hitched in her throat when she realized the answer. Her eyes widened in shock and terror. It can't be, she thought. No way. No way. But there was no way around it. It was the only reasonable answer.

He was going to turn her into an arrancar.

Rayanne exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. She knew that, if he intended to use the Hogyoku, she would not become and arrancar. There was a very large possibility that she would become something much, much worse.

"I may not turn you," Aizen spoke softly, placing his hands on either side of Rayanne and leaning over her. "It depends on how strong you get."

That puzzled Rayanne a bit. What does he mean, how strong I get? she thought. Aizen's voice snapped her from her musing.

"There is one more thing, Rayanne," he said. "Do not try to escape. There will be rather unpleasant consequences if you do."

"Care to elaborate?"

"If you try to escape, your friends will suffer."

Curse him for playing that card. Damn bastard. Rayanne glared at him.

"Why should I believe you?" she asked. "How do I know you're not bluffing?"

"Is that a risk you are willing to take?" Aizen asked.

"Yes," Rayanne said. "If they found out I didn't try to escape because you threatened to hurt them, that'd just insult them. They're perfectly capable of defending themselves."

Aizen smirked at that. "I never said it would be physical pain."

Uh, oh, Rayanne thought. She felt Aizen brush against the barriers surrounding her inner world. He didn't try to enter, he just made it clear that he wanted to show her something. Hesitantly, Rayanne obliged. Later, part of her almost wished she hadn't.

If she tried to escape Las Noches, Aizen would kill her friends. He had had Szayel create a special poison, and had coated his sword with it. The poison was harmless until Aizen used Kyoka Suigetsu to spur it into action. Needless to say, he could pick and choose who to kill, and the victim would be completely defenseless. Aizen withdrew from Rayanne's mind, and she opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Do you understand?" he asked her softly. Rayanne swallowed, and gave a small nod.

"Do you submit to me?" he asked. Rayanne hesitated. Then. Then she closed her eyes and tilted her head back, exposing her throat in a wolfish gesture of defeat, and waited. Aizen kissed her, very gently, either not noticing or ignoring the tears that flowed down her face.


	4. Feeling Helpless

**Chapter 3:**

**Feeling Helpless**

Rayanne, despite the circumstances, had busied herself with pulling at the ropes that bound her to the table. There was nothing else to do, other than think, and she'd done plenty of that in the past day and a half. She was immensely bored, and wished heartily that she could somehow just get back to her friends in the forest. That thought triggered another, more terrifying one. Did Aizen know about the other shape shifters? Probably. Did he know how many there were? Maybe. Did he know she was the queen? She desperately hoped not. If he knew, they were in for a world of trouble. There was no telling how he'd use that to his advantage. Rayanne thought, however, if he knew she was the queen, why would he want to turn her into an arrancar? Right now it sounded like Aizen wanted to make her a part of his army, but that didn't really make sense if he knew she was the shape shifter's queen. Unless, of course, he thought that would bring all the shape shifters under his control. Rayanne doubted he was that foolish. She wasn't as harsh with her people as some of the previous monarchs had been. King Rolian, a member of the lizard clan, came to mind. Nobody had seemed greatly upset when he'd been assassinated. Queen Amenaki, many were heard to say, was the best ruler the shape shifters had had in over a thousand years. Flattering, and pressuring at the same time. Aya had even been teasing her that she'd better choose a good king so the heir wouldn't be a letdown. Rayanne had been somewhat startled to realize she already knew who would make an excellent king, but she wasn't sure if he'd want to mar... at that thought, Rayanne blushed furiously, relaxing her muscles for the first time in a few hours. That won't be a problem, she told herself, if I don't get out of here. But how, how, how, **how**? If she even attempted escape, Aizen would kill her friends. Rayanne was certain of that. He was not known for making idle threats. If she could find a way to neutralize the poison... but how the hell could she do that if she was trapped here? Rayanne closed her eyes, helplessness washing over her. The door opened, and Rayanne simply knew it was Aizen, just by the way he walked. She kept her eyes closed until he was standing right beside her. When she opened her eyes, Rayanne gave him a wary glance.

"You don't trust me an inch, do you?" Aizen asked, smiling.

"You haven't exactly given me a reason to trust you," Rayanne answered flatly. "What do you want?"

In answer, Aizen covered her eyes, and Rayanne felt herself getting drowsy. She fought back against the kido, hands curling slightly.

"Relax," Aizen ordered softly. Rayanne couldn't, even though she knew fighting was pointless. Wolf was frightened, and it was putting her on edge. She took a deep breath, trying to gain control. The trick worked, and she managed to uncurl her hands. In a few seconds, she'd fallen into a deep sleep.

When Aizen was certain Rayanne was unconscious, he undid her bindings. Then he lifted his captive off the table bridal style and carried her into the hallway, allowing Rayanne's head to rest against his shoulder. She's so much easier to deal with when she's sleeping, Aizen thought with a small smile. He rounded a corner, and who should he meet coming down the other hall but Gin.

"Heya, Aizen! Oh, ya got Rayanne with ya!" the former third division captain said, moving over to them.

"I'm taking her to her new quarters, Gin," Aizen replied.

"Ooh, she looks so peaceful when she's sleepin'," Gin said, peering down at the girl in Aizen's arms.

"She behaves more peacefully, too," Aizen smiled.

Creeper! Shannon yelled in Rayanne's mind, almost making the girl laugh. Shannon was making use of her dreamspeaking powers, and the two were conversing while Rayanne slept.

"I wonder how she looks as a wolf? Was she at all like Cherry-chan, Aizen?" Gin asked, probably knowing what the answer would be.

Aizen's smile widened slightly. "She may have been, had she not been angry with me."

There was a bark from behind Gin, and suddenly Cherry and Tsuku were climbing up Gin's back and onto his shoulders. He laughed as the two white foxes licked his face, and then they turned their attention to the sleeping girl. Cherry gave a happy yip and slid down Gin's arm, sniffing at Rayanne's hair. Tsuku was right on her tail.

"It looks as though they remember her," Aizen commented, watching the two foxes.

"C'mon, you two, ya don' wanna wake her up," Gin told Cherry and Tsuku, who leaped down and proceeded to yip and chase each other's tails. Aizen smiled, and Gin laughed.

"If you'll excuse me, Gin. I'd prefer to have our guest settled before she wakes up," Aizen said. He continued to walk down the hall. After turning a few more corners, he walked through a door and entered a room that looked like a rather bare apartment. He laid Rayanne on the bed and took something out of his hakama. It looked like a black choker necklace with a white jewel pendant. He placed it around Rayanne's neck, and the two halves joined together. Once they did, it looked like there had never been a gap at all. The pendant glowed for an instant, then dimmed. Satisfied that the girl wouldn't be too much trouble when she woke, Aizen straightened. He took a chair near the bed and picked up a book. But he found himself watching her sleep for a few seconds, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, and listening to the barely audible sound of her breathing. Gin's right, he thought. She does look more peaceful when she sleeps.

xxXXxx

Rayanne took a deep breath, barely suppressing a yawn. She opened her eyes, and immediately noticed that she'd been moved. She was lying on a bed and wasn't tied down. Rayanne sat up quickly and almost instantly fell prey to a dizzy spell. Shaking her head a bit, the girl looked around the room. Fairly simple, the lack of color playing right into that assessment. The furnishings consisted of a small closet, a small bookcase, a table and two chairs, and the bed she was lying in. Suddenly Rayanne realized she had no connection to her reiatsu. At about the same instant she noted that Aizen was in the room, reading a book. This day keeps getting better and better, she thought. Aizen glanced up from his book, noticing that Rayanne was awake.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, putting the book aside and standing.

"Fine," Rayanne answered curtly. Suddenly another wave of dizziness hit her, and she felt herself start to fall back. Aizen quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders and grabbed her wrist, keeping her upright.

"My apologies. I needed to use a fairly strong kido to ensure that you didn't wake," Aizen said.

"So you could seal my reiatsu?" Rayanne asked in a fairly irritated tone.

"Exactly," Aizen smiled.

Rayanne gave an annoyed huff. "I'm guessing this collar is the seal?" she said, indicating the thing around her neck.

"Yes. It certainly complements your hair," Aizen noted.

"Thank you soo much," Rayanne muttered darkly.

"You don't take to compliments?" Aizen said with a smile.

"Not from people I don't like," Rayanne said, lying diagonally across the bed, folding her hands behind her head, bending one knee and putting her other leg across it. "And you are on my list of people I hate with a passion."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Aizen's smile widened, both at her comment and her laidback posture.

"No, you're not. But thanks for saying it," Rayanne said, sarcasm oozing into that last sentence. Rayanne tensed and barely kept herself from yelping when Aizen pinned her down.

"Such an obstinate creature," he said as she glared at him. "Do you get that from your wolf, or does she get it from you?"

"Both," Rayanne answered off-handedly with a small grin.

"I don't think you fully understand your situation, Rayanne," Aizen said, tone gaining a harder edge. Rayanne's tiny grin vanished without a trace.

"You know what I plan to do with you," Aizen went on, voice lowering until it was almost a whisper. Rayanne looked up at the ceiling, wishing heartily that she was someplace else.

"But do you know what will need to be done to make ends meet?" Aizen was saying. "The process will be long and painful, Rayanne. Resistance will only make it worse."

Yeah, but I plan on giving you hell every step of the way, Rayanne thought.

We've finished the healing spell, Eran reported telepathically. The poison's been neautralized.

Hallelujah, Rayanne thought. Her heart skipped a beat when Aizen pulled her collar down, revealing her scar. It was just a pale mark now, but it still resembled a five-pointed star. Rayanne barely kept herself from shuddering when Aizen lightly brushed the mark with his fingertips. Aizen sensed her unease and decided it might be a good idea to calm her a little before continuing. He gently pushed aside part of her shihakusho, exposing her shoulders and part of her upper arms. Rayanne shivered ever so slightly as Aizen's hands ghosted along her bare skin, lightly tracing new and old wounds with his fingertips.

"Not one for taking it easy, are you?" he said in a low voice.

Rayanne gave a feeble attempt at squirming away, but Aizen kept her effectively pinned. She winced slightly when he touched a raw wound she'd gotten a week ago. Her captor pulled back and lightly stroked her neck while Rayanne did her best not to whimper. Why is he doing this? she thought, swallowing and unconsciously clenching her teeth for a second. After a minute or so, she (and her wolf) became accustomed to Aizen's touch. Still, Rayanne barely halted a gasp when he touched her scar again.

"I'll go slowly," Aizen said. "Brace yourself. This is going to be painful."

Rayanne tilted her head even further back.

"Look at me, Rayanne," Aizen ordered softly. Rayanne complied, and green eyes met brown. Aizen smiled warmly.

"Good," he said.

Rayanne felt his reiatsu rise a bit and closed her eyes. To her surprise, instead of trying to penetrate her inner world, Aizen directed his reiatsu so it intertwined with hers. As Aizen increased the strength of his, however, Rayanne gasped for breath and her eyes snapped open. It felt like there was a physical weight on her chest, crushing her. She tried to raise her own reiatsu, but the collar prevented her from doing so. Aizen pulled back and reined in his spiritual pressure, and Rayanne could breathe easily again.

""You've gotten stronger in the past two years, Rayanne. Even with your powers bound, you were able to withstand a good amount of my spiritual pressure," Aizen said.

Rayanne just glared at him. Then, to her surprise, he reached down and removed the collar. Before she could react, he'd pinned her again and had his hand on her scar. This time, as his reiatsu rose, she fought back. Rayanne wasn't strong enough to withstand all of Aizen's reiatsu. Not even close. Soon she was gasping, both for breath and from the awful pressure on her chest. Aizen pulled back, and Rayanne almost fainted. Unfortunately, she was so disoriented that by the time she'd regained her senses, Aizen had put the collar back on.

"Your focus is wonderful," Aizen commented, releasing her. "Your reiatsu control is fairly good as well." Rayanne struggled to get into a sitting position, but Aizen pushed her back down.

"I'd rest for a bit if I were you," he smirked.

"Yeah, well, you're not me!" Rayanne hissed.

"It's still a good idea," Aizen countered. He chuckled at her expression.

"rest," he said as he opened the door. "You have some hard times ahead of you."

Rayanne gave an annoyed huff when Aizen shut the door. She lay where he'd left her for a few minutes, dozing occasionally. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. There were shadow beasts here. At least six.

And they were looking for her.

Oh, this is not good, Rayanne thought as she ran to the door.

**FINALLY! Sorry it took so long to update! Super bad case of writers' block and a vacation combined... it took forever to come up with this chapter. Sadly, it only took about fifteen minutes to write.**


	5. Growing Danger

**Chapter 4:**

**Growing Danger**

Rayanne sprinted along the halls, her fear sending Wolf into a blind panic. There weren't six shadow beasts. There were ten. And all of them had been created to track and kill their target. Rayanne stood no chance against all ten at once, and they seemed to know it. She'd managed to fatally wound one despite the odds, and it had crept away to die. Unfortunately, that only seemed to get the others riled up. Rayanne was sporting a practically useless left arm, several scratches on her back and a bite on her right leg. She dashed through a door and slammed it shut behind her. The monsters slammed against it, snarling. Rayanne, meanwhile, stared in astonishment for a few seconds. She'd made it outside. Too bad I wasn't watching where I was going, she thought with a wry smile. Good thing, however, that the collar was ripped off. Suddenly she tensed and straightened. There was a Garganta nearby. If she could reach it, she may have a chance... just maybe. She took off at a dead run, heading in the direction of the gateway. She had barely made it over the top of a dune when her pursuers crashed through the door. And she crashed into Ulquiorra, who had apparently been walking around the dunes with Grimmjow tailing behind to tease him. When Rayanne knocked Ulquiorra down, Grimmjow started laughing.

"You're getting soft, Ulquiorra. You let a kid knock you down," the Sexta said between laughs.

"What are you doing, woman?" Ulquiorra asked. Rayanne didn't have time to respond because one of the shadow creatures came barreling over the top of a dune, teeth bared in a snarl of triumph. With a shriek of surprise, Rayanne jumped away from the Espada and barely avoided getting her right arm bitten off. Another one leaped over the dune and went for Rayanne's throat. She snapped her head back and did a back flip, kicking the creature in the stomach. The second she had her feet on the ground, Rayanne sprinted off again. By the time she'd reached the Garganta, all nine were practically nipping at her heels. When Rayanne leaped into the Garganta however, they hesitated for a few seconds, which was more than enough time for Rayanne to get more than halfway across. When the creatures leaped in, Rayanne leaped out... and landed right in front of Ikkaku, Yumichika and Ichigo.

"Rayanne! What are you doing here?" Ichigo said.

"No time!" Rayanne panted. "I'm..." she broke off with a yell when one of the creatures barreled into her. The three standing soul reapers gave startled shouts as the monster sank its teeth into Rayanne's right shoulder. She shrieked in pain and drew her sword, stabbing her attacker in the chest. The shadow beast drew back, coughing up blood. Ichigo kicked it away and helped Rayanne to her feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyeing her bleeding shoulder.

"I'll be fine," Rayanne answered, spitting blood from her mouth. Ikkaku and Yumichika had called for backup, and were in the process of fighting the nine shadow beasts. Rayanne realized for the first time that the monsters had a cloaking spell surrounding them. She could see them for what they were because she was part Guardian, but to everyone else they probably looked like hollows.

"Can you stand?" Ichigo asked as Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya emerged on the scene.

"Of course I can stand, for crying out loud! I'll be fine, go help the others!" Rayanne said.

"One more question... what were you doing in Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo asked.

"I'd very much like to hear that," Hitsugaya said, coming over to them. Rangiku and Rukia joined them, and Ikkaku and Yumichika had left the creatures recovering from their initial shock to hear Rayanne's answer.

"Aizen." That was all the explanation it took. With her being in Hueco Mundo, at least. The soul reapers gasped in shock, then gasped again as Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, and Nnoitora stepped through the Garganta. Their timing couldn't have been worse, because now they had some very peeved shadow monsters surrounding them. Having gotten over their surprise at having mere soul reapers attack them, the creatures were now enraged, and leaped for the nearest victims... the Espada. Caught by surprise, the Espada were suddenly fighting in the middle of a tangle of claws, teeth, spines and lashing tails. What was even more startling was the fact that the monsters were... Rayanne didn't know what they were doing. A black mist seemed to surround them, clinging like an extra skin. Suddenly one of the monsters threw its head back and gave a blood-curdling screech. The black mist billowed outward, into a cloud that was gradually gaining shape. Soon nine new monsters stood on the battlefield.

"Holy freaking cow..." Rayanne muttered.

"What the hell was that?" Ichigo and Grimmjow yelled simultaneously, then glared daggers at one another.

"Captain Hitsugaya, we cannot fight this many high-level hollows on our own," Rukia stated.

"Rangiku, contact Soul Society and request backup immediately. Tell them about Aizen," Hitsugaya ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Rangiku answered. With that, Rukia, Ichigo, Hitsugaya and Rayanne leaped up to meet an attack from the shadow creatures. Soon, it was an all out fight. Captains Kuchiki and Komamura had joined the battle with their lieutenants. Captain Unohana, Isane and some members of squad four came with them to heal the wounded. For once, it seems, soul reapers and arrancars shared a common enemy, Rayanne thought. The fight still wasn't going well, though. Suddenly Rayanne caught a slash on her left side. With a snarl of pain, she turned and managed to return the favor to her attacker. Another sword cut on the neck finished it off. Unfortunately, another creature jumped on her from behind. Rayanne cried out as it sank its teeth into her right shoulder and dug its claws into her back and started tearing at her skin. Thinking quickly, Rayanne threw herself forward and smashed the creature into the concrete of the sidewalk. The thing let go, but was on her again as soon as she stood up. Suddenly the thing cried out and fell to the ground, blood flowing from its mouth. An instant later, someone caught Rayanne before she could fall.

"Captain Ukitake! Wh..when did you get here?" Rayanne asked.

"Soon after the others did. Captain Yamamoto alerted all the captains to the situation," Ukitake answered, helping Rayanne to an old garden out of sight of the fighting and setting her down. "Will you be all right?"

"I'll be fine," Rayanne answered.

"Rukia! Could you make sure Rayanne stays out of trouble?" Ukitake called.

"Yes, sir!" Rukia said. As Ukitake rejoined the fight, Rukia knelt beside her friend.

"Holy cow! Look at you!" Rukia said, examining Rayanne's shoulder.

"Rayanne! Rukia! Are you okay?" Ichigo called from a rooftop. He jumped down to join them, and the two realized he had Orihime in tow.

"Ohmygosh! Rayanne!" Orihime said.

"I look that bad, do I?" Rayanne smiled weakly.

"Look bad?" Ichigo yelled. "You're covered in blood!"

"It's not all mine!" Rayanne protested. Suddenly they heard shouts and startled exclamations coming from the battlefield. Rayanne's blood ran cold, and everyone in the garden froze.

"Aizen!"

"It's Aizen!"

"That doesn't sound good," Rayanne said.

"Rayanne, you need to get out of here. He might try to recapture you," Rukia said, pulling Rayanne to her feet. Realizing the same thing, Ichigo glanced back toward the battlefield, and Orihime began to tug Rayanne away. Knowing protest would be useless, Rayanne started running, the others flanking her. Rayanne did her best to ignore the stabbing pains in her legs. Her denial helped a little bit. She didn't slow down too much or go into a true limp, but she highly doubted she could go on like this for much longer. Suddenly she and the others skidded to a halt when Aizen appeared in front of them.

"Hello, Rayanne," he said, smiling. "Is something wrong? You look awfully pale."

"Blood loss, ya think, Aizen? Look at her!" Gin said, appearing beside him.

"You're not getting her," Ichigo snarled, stepping in front of Rayanne. Rayanne heard the startled cries from her friends before she slipped into unconsciousness.

xxXXxx

Dim sounds reached Rayanne's ears, gradually growing louder. She recognized the voices of her friends, and several soul reapers she knew. Then one voice rose above all the rest.

"Aizen! Let her go!" Ukitake shouted.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Captain Ukitake," Aizen answered.

Rayanne's eyes flew open. She lay in Aizen's arms, and apparently they were in a negacion light. She glanced down, then closed her eyes for a moment. It was somewhat like the scene from Sokyoku Hill, when Aizen had revealed his true colors. All the captains were there, as well as the lieutentants, Ichigo, Chad, Renji, Uryu, Orihime, Yoruichi, and Urahara.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you myself!" Komamura roared. Aizen chuckled.

"Now what makes him think he could do that?" he asked, looking down at Rayanne.

Oh, I am going to be in so much trouble, Rayanne thought.


	6. Act

**Chapter 5:**

**Act**

Rayanne stayed silent as Aizen carried her along the halls of Las Noches. She was feeling light-headed from blood loss, and one of the monsters had nearly killed her when it bit her throat. If she hadn't slashed its stomach, she would be dead. She didn't trust herself to speak, afraid her voice would betray how frightened she was. Rayanne didn't deny that the encounter had scared her. That hadn't just been some backwoods raid. That had been a full-fledged attack, and had she not run into help she would probably be dead. Or worse, she thought with a small shudder. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Aizen opened the door to her room and set her down on the bed. Rayanne's wolf wanted to resist when Aizen gently pushed her shihakusho off her shoulders, but Rayanne clamped down on that urge. She winced and hissed quietly when he lightly brushed his hand along her left shoulder, touching several deep wounds. He examined her chest, stomach and arms. She was bleeding heavily, and her left arm was badly damaged. The way she'd resisted moving it when he'd carried her here proved that it was broken, and one large slash cut straight to the muscle. She had several other deep cuts, and a few bruises. Aizen noted the puncture wounds near the base of her neck, several of which were dangerously close to large blood vessels.

"They really tore you up, didn't they?" Aizen said.

"I'm still in one piece," Rayanne retorted, albeit weakly.

Aizen smiled, then turned to a small bowl of warm water with a small washcloth in it. Rayanne hissed softly as the warmth came into contact with her bleeding skin, but allowed Aizen to clean her wounds.

"You're so compliant today," Aizen commented when Rayanne tilted her head back slightly to grant better access to her neck wounds.

"Don't get too used to it," Rayanne answered.

"Of course," Aizen said, smiling again. He placed the washcloth back in the basin. The water was now a dark shade of pink. He uttered a healing kido, then ran his hands over Rayanne's injuries. The more serious ones took longer than the others, but soon Rayanne was completely healed, save for the slash on her left shoulder and another deep one on her chest which Aizen felt would heal better on their own. He proceeded to bandage her chest, noticing when her fingertips curled slightly at the pain.

"What were you doing out of your room?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Rayanne said, caught off guard.

"Ulquiorra tells me the hollows chased you out of Las Noches, and it is plain that they did not enter this room," Aizen said as he moved to bandage her shoulder.

Rayanne did not like where this was going.

"You tried to escape again, didn't you?" Aizen asked.

"Maybe," Rayanne said. It wasn't exactly lying, and it was better than the truth.

Aizen sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Rayanne?" He sounded for all the world like a parent speaking to an especially unruly child. Rayanne's fists clenched as he finished bandaging her shoulder.

"You could kill me. Or let me go," Rayanne responded. Aizen looked at her. Rayanne took the game one step further by allowing a little wolf to seep into her being and making puppy dog eyes. "Please?" Aizen cocked an eyebrow. Rayanne, realizing how weird she must look, grinned and ducked under the covers, blushing slightly with embarrassment. Aizen laughed.

"What was that look?" he asked.

"Pleading. Pathetic. Odd. I don't know," Rayanne said from beneath the blankets. Before she could react, Aizen had pulled the covers off and placed his hands on either side of her, leaning over her.

"You've changed quite a bit in the past two years," he said, studying her face. He leaned closer. "You do realize I can't let your little sojourn slide."

Rayanne had known that. She exhaled softly and closed her eyes. Warm lips pressed against hers. Rayanne's eyes shot open as Aizen wrapped his arm around her back, making her arch into him.

Rayanne rarely felt like ripping someone's throat out, but this was one of those rare occasions.

She screwed her eyes shut and pushed against Aizen's chest with her right hand, her left being incapable of doing so at the moment. In moments, however, she was too weak to do even that. Aizen pulled away as Rayanne went limp, barely conscious.

"Rest quietly for now," Aizen said, laying her down. "I'll return soon."

She's a strong girl, Aizen thought as he closed the door. I hope I won't have to break her.


	7. Acquaintances

**Chapter 6:**

**Acquaintances**

Aizen sat on his throne, one hand on his forehead. Another Espada meeting with Grimmjow and Nnoitora standing right next to each other proved to be quite a headache, literally. He put his hand back on the armrest and felt... fur. And a nose. He glanced down. A yellow-eyed gray wolf met his gaze. Aizen smiled.

"I'm not even going to ask how you got out of your room," he said, scratching Rayanne's ears. She leaned into his hand, much to his surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Aizen asked. Wolf Rayanne shook her head, then rolled onto her back. Then she sat up and turned to the door, ears up.

"Good morning, Aizen!" Gin sang as he stepped in, Cherry and Tsuku right on his heels. The two foxes caught sight of the wolf and barked with excitement. Rayanne responded with a bark of her own.

"Who's your new friend, Aizen?" Gin asked, peering at the wolf.

"You did ask me how she looked like this," Aizen said, smiling again.

"That's Rayanne?" Gin said. "I thought ya said her wolf didn't take to ya too much."

"She's being a bit more… civil than when we last met," Aizen answered, watching the wolf. She growled softly, though it was good natured. Abruptly she turned from him and leaped down to greet Cherry and Tsuku. The three sniffed each other, and quickly started a game of tag. Cherry leaped at Rayanne, who dodged a ran off toward the pillars, Cherry and Tsuku yipping and following right on her heels. Rayanne proceeded to hide behind several, creating such a criss-crossed path that the foxes couldn't smell her out. When they found her, she would dart off and run around until she lost them again. Finally Cherry and Tsuku managed to tackle the wolf, and the three proceeded to wrestle as wolves and foxes do.

"She seems cool tempered. Well, for a wolf," Gin commented, watching the three of them play.

"I believe it can be similar to hollowfication," Aizen said, also watching the game. "More often than not, Rayanne's wolf shares her views of certain things and certain people, and acts as it sees fit when it rules the body . However, from the way she's acting right now, I'd say Rayanne is the one in control. Unlike the vizards, she is able to transform completely without relinquishing control of the body to another being." He said the last part thoughtfully, gazing at the wolf as Cherry and Tsuku bounced on her chest.

"You wanna know why that is, don'tcha, Aizen?" Gin said, recognizing the tone. When he got no response, the silver-haired main asked, "Whatcha worried 'bout?"

"The next part of the process is the worst," Aizen responded. "Emotional pain. Several would-be Espada have broken under that strain."

"If I didn' know any better, I'd say ya were worried 'bout her," Gin said. "Ya really gonna put her through all o' tha' before ya train her?"

"It will be a good test of her strength," Aizen answered.

xxXXxx

Rayanne woke in her bed with no memory of how she got there.

"Mornin', Rayanne!" Gin sang. She turned and saw him and Aizen sitting at the table.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm guessin' you three wore yourselves out," Gin said. Rayanne noticed the two snoozing balls of fur that were Cherry and Tsuku lying under the table.

"Makes sense. Worked out nicely, anyhow," Rayanne said.

"How so?" Aizen asked.

Rayanne shrugged. "I prefer to be unconscious when shifting back into human form. It's less painful that way."

Cherry and Tsuku woke up as though on cue. Tsuku immediately hopped up onto Aizen's lap, and was greeted by a scratch on the chin. Cherry attempted to do the same. It took her three tries to get into Gin's lap, much to her embarrassment.

"I'm afraid I might be feedin' ya too much, Cherry. You're gettin' kinda... round," Gin said as his furry companion managed to claw her way into his lap. She yipped at him indignantly. Then, much to Gin's and Aizen's surprise, Rayanne started laughing.

"What?" Gin asked, feeling a little put out.

"Oh, Gin!" Rayanne said, obviously swallowing giggles. "Have you been feeding her any more than you usually do?"

"Well, no, but..." Gin trailed off.

"Gin!" Rayanne exclaimed. "She's pregnant!"

Gin was stunned for a few seconds.

"Cherry, why didn' ya tell me?" he asked suddenly, laughing. "How'd ya know, Rayanne?"

"I could smell the milk on her," Rayanne answered.

Cherry and Tsuku yipped happily, leaping onto the table and growling playfully at each other. Rayanne smiled. Without warning, and immense wave of nausea swept over her. At the same time, she sensed Aizen flash-step behind her. The hilt of his zanpakuto struck the back of her neck, and she promptly blacked out.

And 'woke' in a dreaming hell.

**Okay, bad news. My parents are making me take marching band this year, and that takes up about two-thirds of my free time and explains why this chapter's so short. I'm going to try to get one more chapter done before school starts. After that I probably won't be able to update any of my stories until late October, so don't get your hopes up for any new chapters soon. Just as a heads-up, there. Thank you to all who've been following this story, and to those who have reviewed. Best of luck to everyone during the new school year.**


	8. Your Worst Nightmare

**Chapter 7:**

**Your Worst Nightmare**

Rayanne woke, certain she'd come within a hair's breadth of a heart attack. She came pretty dame close to one when she saw where she was. She was strapped to a table in Szayel's lab. Rayanne immediately began fighting her restraints, but stopped when she heard footsteps approaching. In an instant, Szayel was standing over her (Rayanne guessed he hadn't brushed his teeth this morning).

"She is awake, Lord Aizen," Szayel said, turning slightly. Uh, oh, Rayanne thought.

"How are you feeling, Rayanne?" Aizen asked, walking over, his trademark smirk on his face. Rayanne glared daggers at him.

"I've been better," she snapped. "What the hell is it now?"

"The next step in the transformation process," Aizen replied. "A test, if you will, of your emotional strength."

Rayanne's expression spoke volumes. Disgust, resignation, determination and a hint... just a hint... of worry showed themselves on her face. She glanced up as Szayel passed a syringe to Aizen. Aizen caught her look.

"This drug will put you to sleep for a day and a night," Aizen explained, turning to her.

"How can you tell?" Rayanne muttered.

"At the same time," Aizen went on as though she hadn't spoken, "you will relive your worst memories and, shall we say, live your worst nightmares."

Ah, crap, Rayanne thought, heart rate picking up. She didn't really know what her worst nightmare was, but she got the sense she was about to find out. Suddenly she remembered something from when she'd been Aizen's captive during the Winter War, and her worry increased.

"Is there any way to wake someone from this... coma?" Rayanne asked.

"We can wake ya up if we want," Gin said, popping up behind Aizen. He's just a leaping bundle of energy, Rayanne thought.

"Why do you ask?" Szayel said, inanely curious.

"Just checking," Rayanne answered.

Aizen took a step toward her. Rayanne's wolf, who was in a panic, raised her head. Rayanne hissed in pain, a sound that quickly turned into a low, barely audible growl. She swallowed, visibly gathering herself. As before, Gin gently tilted her head to the side.

"Ya gonna be okay, Rayanne," he whispered, so quietly she hardly heard him.

She felt a stinging pain in her neck as the needle penetrated her skin. Almost immediately she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She fought hard against the drug, but she felt as if her limbs were made of lead. Soon, knowing it was useless to fight, Rayanne closed her eyes and steeled herself, telling herself she could live through this. It would, after all, all be in her head.

Unfortunately, a certain someone had other plans.

xxXXxx

Rayanne opened her eyes. And recoiled in shock, terror and disgust. Directly in front of her lay a human body, so charred she could hardly tell what it was. The stench of smoke and burning flesh choked the air. The sky was black as the underside of a raven's wing. Rayanne stood at the edge of a burning town. She could hear screams of terror and agonized shrieks coming from the direction of the flames. Coughing, she ran forward, soon coming to the smoldering ruins of an outlying neighborhood. Rayanne stepped into the blackened remains of a house, and found herself transfixed with something akin to horror.

An entire family lay on the ground, dead. The parents were near what must have been the door to the dining room. The father's head was at a terrible angle, showing he'd died of a broken neck. The mother had her chest slashed open, blood spattering the walls and charred bits of table that lay around her. A few feet behind them lay a boy who looked to be in his early teens, his head practically severed and one of his arms cut to the bone. And behind him... behind him lay the bodies of three small children. Twins, a boy and a girl, who looked about six, had died holding onto each other. Their bodies were covered with blood, both theirs and their older brother's. The boy had been strangled, judging by the bruises on his neck. Before he died, his sides had been raked with claws, very large claws. The wounds on the girl's neck showed that she'd been bitten and her neck snapped. Rayanne nearly choked. Both she and her mother's last moments had probably been sheer agony, a world of only pain and sorrow, knowing that they were going to die and that their family was dead. And the last body... Rayanne had to hold back a cry. She felt tears sting her eyes. It was a girl, who couldn't have been more than three years old. Her body was covered in blood, the jugular slashed. She'd bled to death. Gasping, Rayanne turned and fled. She wanted to run until her heart burst, to get away from this place, but something seemed to be drawing her toward the city. The shape shifter ran blindly, barely noticing when she entered the doomed city. She passed burning and collapsed buildings, and so many bodies she didn't want to look for fear of knowing how many had died. Suddenly she heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks. A scream, a child's scream, pierced the smoke-blackened night. Rayanne looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the sound. When the scream came again, Rayanne dashed down an alleyway. The orange light of the flames danced on the walls, the searing heat making Rayanne feeling like she was running with a weight on her back, draining her energy. When she reached a square, she skidded to a halt. A terrifying sight met Rayanne's eyes. A black-haired boy who looked to be about sixteen was backed up against a wall, holding a screaming nine-year old girl, her blond hair bright in the light of the flames.

In front of them stood a shadow beast. It looked like a black panther with the talons of an eagle and the spines and tail of a dragon. The thing snarled, obviously enjoying its prey's fear. The girl gave a small scream, and the boy held her even tighter. Without warning, the creature lunged forward, grabbing the boy's leg in its jaws and pulling him off his feet. The boy cried out in pain as he hit the ground, blood flowing from his leg in a steady stream. Rayanne leaped forward as the girl cried, "Don't leave me!" She screamed as another monster seized her from behind.

The boy caught sight of Rayanne as she ran toward them. His eyes widened slightly, a spark of hope appearing in them.

"Help her! Please!" he screamed. Rayanne reached out toward the girl. The girl stretched out a hand streaked with soot and blood... and her hand passed right through Rayanne's.

What...? Rayanne thought in horror. The girl's eyes widened in shock, and she screamed in terror. Then Rayanne understood. This was a living world, not a spirit realm like Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. Without a solid body, she was a ghost here. But for some reason these people could see her. A snap and a cry of pain brought her out of her thoughts. The creature that held the girl had broken her arm in its powerful jaws. The girl sobbed in terror and pain as blood flowed down her arm, staining her blue shirt a dark shade of purple.

"Lila!" the boy cried.

Oh gods, what can I do, what can I do? Rayanne thought. I'm just a ghost here, but unless I do something these two are going to suffer the same fate as that family.

Thinking quickly, Rayanne allowed her senses to expand. She gathered light energy to her (there was surprisingly little around) and pushed it into a metal pike that was sticking out of a block of cement. She used a levitation spell to lift the pike from the cement and fling it at the creature holding the girl, Lila. It hit the monster square in the head, slamming straight through bone and into the windpipe. With a gurgling hiss, the shadow beast released Lila and staggered a few steps before collapsing and going still. Reactivating the spell, Rayanne yanked the pike from the first beast's carcass and threw it at the second. The metal flew like an arrow, piercing the heart. The monster shrieked, dropping the boy's leg and falling to the ground, twitching horribly before it stopped moving. Immediately, the boy stood and limped over to Lila, his blood dripping in a trail behind him.

"Lila, are you okay?" he asked, picking up the sobbing girl and holding her to him.

"Connor! It hurts! My arm, it hurts so badly!" Lila cried.

"Shh. It's gonna be okay. I'm going to get you out of here," Connor said, stroking her hair. Then he glanced toward Rayanne. He quickly backed away.

"What are you?" he asked sharply.

"I...," Rayanne started, not sure how to explain.

Suddenly there was a loud crack from the burning building next to her. Connor, undoubtedly thinking it was about to fall, turned and fled. Rayanne was about to run too, but then she realized that the crack had just been a spark, not the timbers. Is this really a dream? Rayanne thought. I don't think my subconscious could have thought this up, even in my worst nightmares.

"That was a clever trick," came a voice from behind her, one that sent chills down her spine. "Shannon taught you quite well."

Rayanne swallowed, feeling herself start to tremble. Slowly, she turned around, just as Ladin stepped out of the shadows.


	9. The Harsh Reality

**Chapter 8:**

**The Harsh Reality**

Rayanne might never admit it, but Ladin was the one being who truly terrified her. Like Shannon, he was an Immortal. Unlike her, he ruled the universe he'd created, and created most of its inhabitants for use in battle. He also killed without remorse, and had no trouble destroying entire worlds to further his own ends. Rayanne had never actually seen him, but she had no doubt that this was the worst moment of her life.

Ladin looked like a dark knight from an old English folk tale. Black armor covered him completely. The armor wasn't smooth. It was covered with what could have been considered sharp, black scales. A cloak of shadows was draped over his shoulders, and he wore an immense longsword in a sheath at his waist. A helmet with long horns completed the look. As far as Rayanne could tell, Ladin had no face, just two glowing red eyes. Shannon had told her once that the armor was a part of him, just like a skin or scales. Rayanne had asked if there was anything under that helmet, or if that was actually his head. Shannon had responded by saying that, judging by how many times she'd ripped it off, the helmet was his head, or part of it. But if there was something underneath it, she didn't want to know. Rayanne now understood why.

"I don't understand why Shannon bothers training mortal apprentices," Ladin said, looking her up and down critically.

Ouch.

"What are you doing here?" Rayanne asked, managing to keep her voice steady.

"Supervising my army," Ladin replied with a wave of his hand. "And, of course, dealing with you."

"What?" Rayanne shrieked. She couldn't help herself. If it was just some shadow beasts, she may have been able to get away, but Ladin? Her chances immediately dropped from 'maybe' to 'a snowman's chances in a crematorium'.

"B...but th..this is a dream," Rayanne said.

Ladin laughed then, a sound that chilled Rayanne to the bone.

"Hasn't Shannon told you about this power? If you die in this 'dream'," he said, drawing his sword, "you never wake up."

xXxXxXxX

Rayanne ducked, barely avoiding getting her chest cut open. She flipped backward, turned and fled without looking back. What could she do? She couldn't run, couldn't fight, couldn't hide. She'd figured out by now that this was no ordinary dream. It was like a vision, and she was trapped inside the crystal ball. Rayanne knew that unless someone in the lab decided to wake her up (unlikely), she was as good as dead. She turned a corner, then another, and another. She ran blindly, jumping at every shadow. Occasionally, she heard Ladin's laughter, but it sounded far off. Rayanne barreled into a street and almost collided with Lila and Connor.

"Ah!" Lila screeched as Rayanne and Connor shouted in surprise and leaped away from one another.

"Are you alright?" Connor asked Rayanne, albeit hesitantly. Rayanne was about to ask what he meant when a drop of blood fell into her eye. Startled, she reached up and touched her forehead. There was a stinging pain, and her fingers were covered in blood. Rayanne realized Ladin's sword must have cut her when she ducked.

"It's nothing," she said, backing away.

"Hang on," Connor said, setting Lila down and moving toward her.

"Connor, don't! She's a ghost!" Lila cried.

"She saved our lives," Connor responded. He took a step forward. Rayanne took a step back.

"Stay away from me," she said. "Please."

"Just let me bandage that cut," Connor said.

"No! Get away!" Rayanne yelled. Then she and Connor screamed as Ladin appeared between them.

xxXXxx

"Something's wrong," a fraccione muttered, looking at a machine.

"What is it?" another one asked.

"Well... her heart rate... her breathing..," the first one said.

"What about them?" the second asked.

"Well... she's distressed, that much is obvious... but she's not upset. She's scared," the first responded.

"What?" the second exclaimed. "What are her thoughts?"

"The machine isn't able to read her," the first said glumly.

"Did you even try?" the second roared.

"Of course! There's something there, like a barrier or shield around her mind that won't let me in no matter how hard I try!"

"That's odd," the second said. "You're right about her vitals... good God."

"What? What?" the first asked.

"She's not scared," the second said. "She's terrified."

xxXXxx

Rayanne's breath left her in a rush as a blow from the hilt of Ladin's sword connected with her chest, crushing her lungs and three ribs. She coughed up blood, gasping for breath, blocking an overhead strike with her own sword. Suddenly a dark spell knocked her back several feet. Rayanne cried out as her head connected with the pavement of the road. She retaliated with the most powerful spell she could muster at the moment.

"Moonshine, rise to the night!" Rayanne called. A ray of white light left her hand and struck Ladin squarely in the chest.

He didn't even flinch.

"What was that?" he said. Rayanne's eyes widened slightly. What did I expect? She thought. He's an Immortal, at least fifty thousand times stronger than Yamamoto and Aizen combined! What the hell did I think that would do? She cried out in shock and pain as Ladin slashed first her arm, then her stomach, then her legs. She was knocked backward by the force of a blow to her shoulder. Rayanne lay there, dazed and bleeding. Suddenly she was jerked off the ground by an iron grip on her neck. A terrible cold and awful fear penetrated her, and Rayanne remembered the instance two years ago when Aizen had forced her to touch the Hogyoku. It had been like this, but this was thousands of times worse. She gasped for breath, trying desperately to loosen Ladin's grip on her throat.

"I wonder what Shannon saw in you," Ladin commented idly as Rayanne felt the cold growing stronger. "You may be a queen, but you are truly no different from any other. Just as weak, just a foolish, just as easy to destroy."

Rayanne was fading. It was a struggle just to draw breath. Her struggles ceased, and her grip on Ladin's arm slackened. To her horror, her vision started to fade. No, she thought. I can't die here. Not like this. I can't...

xxXXxx

"Oh, no!" the fraccione watching the machine suddenly yelled.

"What is it?" the second one shouted, running over.

"Her vitals are slowing down! Heart rate... breathing... get Lord Szayel!" the first yelled.

"He's in a meeting...," the second began.

"She's dying, you idiot! If she dies, it's curtains for us! Go!" the first yelled. The second dashed away and flung open the door to the lab, nearly knocking Loly and Menoly off their feet.

"What the hell is your problem?" Loly screeched.

"Get Lord Szayel! Quickly!" the fraccione said.

"Why? He's in a meeting!" Loly yelled.

"The girl! He told us that if something went wrong, we should get him no matter what the circumstance!"

Loly and Menoly glanced at one another, then took off down the hall.

xxXXxx

"Attack the soul reapers?" Grimmjow asked.

"Nothing on a large scale. Just something to keep them on their toes," Aizen answered coolly.

"Some of my fracciones should be up to the task," Szayel said.

"Very well. Dismissed," Aizen said.

Everyone stood more quickly than necessary, even Ulquiorra, anxious to get out of the meeting room. Grimmjow disappeared with sonido. An instant later, everyone else heard startled shouts and Grimmjow's furious yell of, "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"We're looking for Szayel!" Loly shouted back.

"What is it?" Szayel asked, first out the door.

"A couple of your fracciones told us to find you. They said to tell you something's wrong with the girl...," Menoly said. Szayel was gone before she could finish.

xxXXxx

"What is wrong, Szayel?" Aizen asked as he, Gin and Tosen stepped into the lab.

"The machines, for one," Szayel said, hardly restraining himself from destroying one on the spot. "None of them are working."

Aizen glanced to the table where Rayanne was bound, still as a leaf on a windless day. "Did you administer the antidote?"

"Yes, my lord," Szayel answered, looking up at Rayanne. "I don't understand it. She should have woken fifteen minutes ago!"

Tosen walked wordlessly over to the table. He placed his hand on Rayanne's wrist, and nearly drew back in shock. The girl's skin was ice cold, and her pulse was very weak.

"She's dying," Tosen said, pulling his hand away. Gin came over and gently touched Rayanne's hand.

"She's ice cold," he said softly.

"At this rate, if she doesn't wake in the next seven minutes, she'll die," Szayel said, unconsciously starting to pace.

Wake up, a voice whispered in Rayanne's ear, accompanied by the faintest whisper

of a breeze. Time to get back on your feet.

xxXXxx

Rayanne was inches from death, she was certain. Suddenly Ladin's hold tightened for an instant. Rayanne's eyes widened in shock as she felt her lungs contract. Her captor released her, and she fell to the ground, coughing up blood and gasping.

"It seems your mentor refuses to stay confined," Ladin commented, gazing up at the sky. He looked back down at Rayanne.

"I'll see you again, Rayanne," he said. "And don't forget that **I let you live**!"

The last part was almost a roar. The world seemed to fade around Rayanne, and she fell into shadow.


	10. Nightmares in Las Noches

**Chapter 9:**

**Nightmares in Las Noches**

Rayanne's eyes shot open and she immediately tried to sit up. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Slowly," Aizen cautioned. "You don't want to black out again, do you?"

Rayanne gave him a wary look, then glanced around. She was back in her room, lying on the bed.

"What happened?" Rayanne asked, then winced. It hurt to speak.

"Hey, she's up!" Gin exclaimed as he entered the room. "She remember anythin'?"

"It doesn't seem so," Aizen responded, glancing at his subordinate.

"I ask again, what happened?" Rayanne said as loudly as she could manage.

"Tha's what we'd like ta know!" Gin answered.

Huh? Rayanne thought. Then she remembered Ladin's words. Uh, oh...

"You've been unconscious for nearly three days," Aizen said, noting her confusion. "The test went badly wrong, and you failed to wake when Szayel gave you the antidote."

"Ya gave us quite a scare, too," Gin said.

Oh, jeez, Rayanne thought, making sure to look confused.

"You nearly died," Aizen said.

So it was true, Rayanne thought. She shivered, remembering the feeling of cold permeating her body, and of a grip stronger than steel. Three days, she thought. I'll see you again... the words floated into Rayanne's mind, unbidden. She felt fear creep into her mind again. Rayanne attempted to stand, but Aizen held her back effortlessly.

"You can hardly handle sitting up," he said, smiling. "I wouldn't recommend standing yet."

Rayanne glared at him. "And when did you become so concerned about my well-being?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

"Three days ago," Aizen answered simply, smile gaining a hint of amusement.

"I'll have to nearly die more often then," Rayanne muttered, lying back down as Aizen stood.

"We goin' now?" Gin asked.

"Yes," Aizen answered. "Rest well, Rayanne. I'll see you when we return."

He and Gin were gone before Rayanne could ask what he meant (not that she expected an answer). She didn't ponder it, though. A minute after the door shut, she jumped out of bed and all but ran into the bathroom. Rayanne turned to the mirror and lifted her hair from her neck. She stared.

Her neck was badly bruised.

Rayanne looked at her arms and legs. There were partially healed wounds there and on her stomach, as well as a bruise on her shoulder and a small cut on her forehead. There was an ache in her chest where Ladin's spell had hit her.

I'll see you again...

Rayanne was not looking forward to that.

xxXXxx

Another twenty minutes saw Rayanne practicing fighting forms and techniques for weaving magic into physical attacks. Breathing hard, Rayanne did a back flip, landing neatly on the balls of her feet. She spun on one leg a couple times, a bit like a dancer, letting her spin carry her arm forward for a punch...

Someone caught her fist.

Rayanne froze.

"A little on the slow side, don't you think?" Ladin asked.

xXxXxXxX

Rayanne immediately leaped away from the dark figure as he stepped out of the shadows.

"What's wrong?" Ladin said, a mocking edge slipping into his voice. "One would think you'd be used to training with an Immortal."

"Shannon doesn't try to kill me," Rayanne answered.

"Oh, she is too soft," Ladin said. Without warning, he lunged. The two grappled for a few seconds, and then Rayanne managed to scramble away. Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by darkness. It took her a few seconds to realize she was in the middle of a Garganta. Rayanne ducked, feeling the blade of Ladin's sword brush the top of her hair. She sprinted toward the opening of the passage, hearing Ladin's laughter as she leapt out and into the world of the living. She stayed on her hands and knees for a few seconds, gasping. Hearing shouting, she looked up. The soul reapers and arrancars were fighting again. Rayanne caught sight of Ichigo's orange hair and saw that he was battling Grimmjow. Suddenly the Espada disappeared. Ichigo glanced around wildly, and didn't notice Grimmjow preparing to attack.

"Ichigo! Look...!" Rayanne shouted. A hand covered her mouth and another grabbed her arm, pulling her to someone.

"Well, this won't do," Aizen said. Rayanne uttered muffled complaints and tried to squirm free.

"Ooh, she doesn' like that, Aizen," Gin quipped as Rayanne attempted to elbow her captor in the ribs.

"How did she get here?" Tosen asked.

"I doubt she'll tell us," Aizen answered. Then to Rayanne he said, "do not scream, do not call to your friends. If you do, I will knock you out. Is that clear?" Rayanne nodded, and Aizen took his hand from her mouth.

"Are you going to tell us how you got here?" Aizen asked.

"No," Rayanne answered.

"Are you alright?" Aizen asked, startling Rayanne.

"Yeah. Why?" she asked.

"You're shaking," Aizen answered. Rayanne realized that he was right. Ladin's sudden appearance had scared her half out of her wits, and she was still trembling a bit.

"I'm fine," she insisted, The three traitors studied her for a few seconds before returning their attention to the battle. To Rayanne's frustration, Aizen kept his hold on her much too firm. Suddenly she heard something and went utterly still. When the three ex-shinigami started talking, Rayanne cocked her head slightly. Hearing a rustle, she turned to look toward the trees.

Ponderosa, a messenger phoenix for the Guardian army, was perched on the lowest branch of the tree.

Rayanne's eyes widened. This was probably bad. The Guardians usually communicated telepathically. The appearance of a phoenix messenger probably meant they were incapable of doing so at the moment. Then something else caught her attention. Something was standing by Ichigo and Grimmjow, neither of whom seemed to notice the figure. With a start, Rayanne saw who it was.

Ayamoshi, the ex-serpent lord.

He looked down at her and smiled wickedly. Then he turned toward Ichigo and Grimmjow. In that same instant, Ichigo caught sight of him. Ayamoshi's transformation was almost instantaneous. Ichigo and Grimmjow cried out in shock as a gigantic black snake appeared before them. Black? Rayanne thought with a start. No, his scales were green before. The black scales probably meant he'd gotten more powerful, in which case Ichigo and Grimmjow were in trouble. Without much thought, Rayanne howled. She was in human form, but the sound was all wolf. Ayamoshi hissed in shock and turned toward her, eyes blazing.

"Rayanne!" Ichigo called.

"Ichigo! Get...!" Rayanne started before a cloth covered her mouth and nose. The sickly sweet scent told her it was drugged. She struggled wildly, trying to pull Aizen's hand from her face and shaking her head from side to side. It did no good, and she whined softly as she felt herself start to weaken.

"Shh. Relax," Aizen said, pushing her head to rest against his shoulder. Rayanne tried to shift in a last ditch effort to get away, but her wolf was already asleep. She soon followed.

xxXXxx

Rayanne was floating... or, rather drowning, in a river of blood. She tried to swim, but the thick liquid slowed her down.

"I wouldn't bother," came a voice. With a chill, Rayanne looked up. Ladin stood on the riverbank, gazing down at her.

"This river is made up of the blood of all the beings I have killed," he went on. Rayanne was torn between horror and fascination.

"Your blood will become part of this river soon, Rayanne," Ladin said. He laughed. "Unless, of course, your mentor frees herself in time to save you."

Rayanne's limbs felt like lead. She craned her neck back, trying to keep her head up. Even so, she sank beneath the surface. She tried to hold her breath, but soon she needed to breathe. Her mouth opened of its own accord, and blood flowed down her throat...

xXxXxXxX

Rayanne sat up and coughed, trying to get whatever liquid she'd just been given out of her windpipe.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," Gin said, setting the water glass on the bedside table.

"Couldn't you have waited until I was awake?" Rayanne asked.

"Ya lost a lot of blood, so it probably wouldn' have been a good idea ta wait," Gin answered. Rayanne became aware of the sensation of bandages on her arms, legs, chest and shoulders. I hope there weren't any bloodstains on the carpet, she thought.

"Ya gonna be okay?" Gin asked.

"Yes," Rayanne sighed. She covered her eyes with her arm as Gin sauntered out of the room, Ladin's words still ringing in her head.

Your blood will become part of this river soon... Rayanne.


	11. Wicked World

**Chapter 10:**

**Wicked World**

The next few days passed peacefully for Rayanne. She didn't have any more nightmares, and she healed quickly. Even so, Ulquiorra wouldn't let her move about too much, despite muttered protests. Cherry and Tsuku dropped by daily, occasionally accompanied by Gin, who would sometimes take Rayanne for a walk. Cherry was heavily pregnant now, and Rayanne knew it wouldn't be long before there were some new faces at Las Noches. She didn't see Aizen at all, which was perfectly fine with her. After four nights, thought, the nightmares began again, and they were worse than before. Rayanne would wake up at all hours of the night in a cold sweat. On more than one occasion she felt tears on her face. One night, Rayanne woke with a strangled gasp. She put a hand over her heart to make certain it was still in her chest. She pushed her hair behind her ear, feeling the sweat on her brown. She was breathing hard and shaking. The poor girl jumped a mile when the door opened.

"Are you alright?" Aizen asked.

"Yes," Rayanne answered, sounding a bit weak even to her ears. Aizen smirked.

"Rayanne, you screamed loudly enough to wake the dead."

Rayanne's face reddened slightly. "I did?"

"I heard you, didn't I?" Aizen smiled. Rayanne scowled at him despite her recent scare.

"Did anybody else?" she muttered. Before she could react, Aizen flash-stepped to her bedside. He grasped her chin and gently tilted her head back, looking into her eyes. Rayanne felt him brush against her inner world, just slightly. Wolf was about to leap to the rescue, but Rayanne was faster, shoving Aizen out before Wolf could attack. Aizen chuckled and released her.

"You're stronger than I thought," he said, walking to the door. Rayanne lay back down when she heard the door close, rolling onto her side. She froze.

On her bedside table was an ebony rose.

The very same one she'd seen in her nightmare.

xxXXxx

Rayanne had settled back into an uneasy sleep for a couple hours. Suddenly she jerked awake, breathing heavily. Sensing danger, she stood and blocked the strike.

"Excellent reactions," Ladin commented. Rayanne's eyes widened in shock. Ladin put his hand in front of her chest. The spell knocked Rayanne through the door and several walls. She managed to get to her knees, noticing that she was in a very large room. Several lesser arrancars were locked in combat with shadow beasts. She had no time to ponder why the creatures were here, because their master aimed a sword strike at her head. Rayanne rolled to the side and flipped to her feet. She kicked a piece of stone into her hand and used a spell to turn it into a dagger. It's unfortunate that I can't turn it into some type of metal, Rayanne thought as she charmed the dagger with light magic. She flung it as hard as she could at Ladin. Physically it didn't achieve much aside from a miniscule scratch, but it did distract him. Rayanne used shunpo to get right next to him, a light spell right at her fingertips. She managed to knock him back, but he recovered almost instantly. Rayanne stepped back, managing to lessen the severity of the wound she received in her side. She cried out as Ladin's blade cut diagonally across her chest, sending agonizing waves of pain shooting throughout her body. Reeling with shock, Rayanne could hardly defend herself. Within two minutes, she was covered with wounds, and the floor was covered with her blood. Suddenly Ladin drew back, and droved his sword into the ground. Rayanne cried out in shock as she fell, the ground crumbling beneath her.

It was quite a drop. She hit the ground hard. Rayanne lay on her stomach, covering her mouth and closing her eyes because of the dust. Coughing, the girl tried to get up. A searing pain shot through her. Rayanne glanced back.

A steel pike was run through her left side.

The universe has a sick sense of humor, Rayanne thought. She shifted slightly, and again that agonizing pain shot through her. Rayanne opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Exhausted, she fell onto her side, in a spreading pool of her own blood.

Well crap, Rayanne thought. I guess he actually did manage to kill me. She coughed weakly, spitting blood from her mouth. Her vision started to fade. So much pain, Rayanne thought hazily. Sorry I wasn't able to help you, Shannon, everyone. Her eyes started to slip closed.

Good-bye...


	12. You Think It Can

**Chapter 11:**

**You Think It Can't Get Worse...**

Rayanne opened her eyes. How the hell am I still alive? She thought. She was lying on a bed... a very large one. Rayanne turned her head to look around. Oh, no, she thought.

"Finally awake?" came a familiar voice. Rayanne looked to her right. Gin stood there, looking down at her. "How ya feelin'?"

"Like hell," Rayanne answered. Gin's grin broadened.

"What? Didja see it?" he asked. Worse, Rayanne thought.

"Maybe," she said, smiling weakly. Gin leaned over and pulled the blanket down, revealing Rayanne's bandaged chest. Rayanne immediately pushed herself away as best she could, pulling her shihakusho so it covered her chest again.

"I jus' need ta look at your wound, Rayanne," Gin reassured her. Rayanne lay down, watching the grinning man warily. Gin gently cut the bandages away and examined the gaping wound on the left side of Rayanne's stomach. She hissed in pain when Gin lightly pressed near the wound.

"Wow. Ya really do heal fast," Gin said, retying the bandages with a kido. Rayanne let her head fall back, then nearly choked when Gin poured water down her throat.

"For crying out loud, Gin!" she yelled, sitting up.

"Will ya drink it yourself, then?" Gin asked. "Ya practically bled ta death down there."

"I'll drink it if you answer one question," Rayanne answered.

"Alright, then," Gin said, placing the water glass in her hands. Rayanne opened her mouth to speak.

"Nope! Ya gotta drink that first!" Gin sang.

"No! Jeez, I haven't even asked the question yet!" Rayanne retorted.

"Drink it first," Gin insisted.

"Fine." Rayanne put the glass to her lips and swallowed the rest of the water.

"Now ya can ask. Swear I'll answer," Gin said, grinning even more. Rayanne set the glass on the bedside table.

"Why am I in Aizen's personal quarters?" Rayanne asked. Again, she added silently.

"Aizen figured ya'd be better off if he could keep an eye on ya," Gin answered.

I doubt Ladin will care where I am, Rayanne thought darkly. "Great," she muttered.

"Cheer up! It ain't that bad!" Gin said, walking to the door.

"Says you," Rayanne retorted. "Oh, and Gin, keep an eye on Cherry. Her pups will be born any day now!" she called after him.

"All right then! See ya later, Rayanne!" Gin said as he shut the door.

xXxXxXxX

Gin walked down the corridor, humming to himself. He spotted Aizen coming from the opposite direction.

"I trust you were successful?" the brown-haired man asked.

"Yup," Gin replied, not even stopping his progress. As he continued down the hall, however, he could not help feeling a little guilty. The guilt was accompanied by a miniscule twinge of pity.

xXxXxXxX

Rayanne was already on her feet when the door opened, testing her mobility.

"Are you sure you should be up and about?" Aizen asked, walking in as the door shut behind him.

"I haven't lost the use of my limbs, thank you very much," Rayanne answered, wincing as she put most of her weight on her left leg.

"Aren't you feeling a little tired?" Aizen said, smirking. Rayanne's head snapped up to look at him. Suddenly a wave of dizziness overcame her, and she fell forward into Aizen's arms. He gently lifted her and placed her back on the bed.

I'm such a fool, Rayanne thought. The water was drugged, that's why Gin wanted me to drink it. She struggled weakly as Aizen held her down.

"What... did you...?" Rayanne managed to say.

"Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. It will just put you to sleep in a little while," Aizen answered.

In a little while? Rayanne thought. What is he trying to do? Aizen drew his right hand from her shoulder to her scar. That told Rayanne everything. Her struggles weakened even more, then ceased. When she felt Aizen's reiatsu rise, Rayanne surged forward. She pushed Aizen back, the same motion carrying her into a forward handspring. As she got back on her feet, Rayanne felt a surge of pain in her left side, accompanied by an ache in her back. Oh, no. Don't want to go into dragon form, she thought. Suddenly she was knocked to the floor, the breath leaving her lungs like it had to beat rush hour traffic. As though he had rehearsed it, Aizen flipped Rayanne onto her back and tied her wrists together with a kido rope. Oh, damn, the girl thought as he lifted her up again. She doubted she could wriggle free. Actually, the cord was tied so tightly it bit into her skin. She started to struggle again when Aizen pinned her down, but the drug had finally started to work. Rayanne was dizzy and weak, and she knew she had no chance. Damn it, she thought. She was scared, she realized. She hated this. It was painful and invasive, but worst of all it made seizing control of her mind practically effortless for Ladin. That was what scared her.

Rayanne had to bite back a whimper as Aizen slid her shihakusho off her shoulders. She winced when his fingertips lightly brushed over her injuries.

"You're going to be sore for a while," Aizen commented, noticing how tender her wounds were. No, really? Rayanne thought bitterly as Aizen placed his hand on her scar. His reiatsu intertwined with hers, but the collar kept Rayanne's own power from rising. Aizen's reiatsu quickly became too heavy for Rayanne, and breathing became difficult. Aizen raised his reiatsu a bit more, and Rayanne felt one of her already cracked ribs break even more. She cried out in pain and shock as a searing agony shot through her head, a dark, familiar presence searching her thoughts. The strain was too much. Rayanne coughed, trying to get the blood out of her throat, and then was blissfully unconscious.

**Sorry for two short chapters in a row. The next one will be longer, I promise.**


	13. The Bond

**Chapter 12: **

**The Bond**

When Rayanne woke, she was alone. She also felt really, really warm, and very dizzy. Oh, great, I have a fever, she thought. Ah, well. Let's see if my healing power works. She managed to clamber out of bed, and, hesitantly, began a series of slow, familiar movements.

xxXXxx

Aizen opened the door to his rooms and sighed in annoyance. Rayanne lay on the couch, sleeping fast. She'd probably been testing her limbs, trying to see how her injuries would impede her movement. For someone who's competent in a fight, she certainly pushes herself too hard sometimes, Aizen thought as he came to stand over her. She looked so peaceful when she slept, a stark contrast to the stubborn, strong-willed fighter Aizen knew she was. It's almost like she's afraid to show her softer side, Aizen mused as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He gently set the girl down and placed a hand on her forehead. Hm, she has a fever, Aizen thought as he noted her pale face. A healing kido would work, he knew, but it would probably be best if Rayanne recovered from this one on her own. Idly, Aizen allowed his fingertips to trail along the side of his captive's face, coming to rest on the gem that hung from the collar.

It pulsed, ever so slightly.

Aizen drew back, startled. Rayanne was asleep, unconscious. But there was still an energy within her, an active one. Aizen knew from experience that Rayanne kept her inner world well protected, and trying to enter it would wake her up. Then there were her actions; her strange behavior, the attacks, her diminished strength. Aizen gazed down at the shape shifter, as though she would answer his questions.

"What are you hiding, Rayanne?" he said softly.

xxXXxx

Rayanne woke and was surprised at how stiff she was. How long was I asleep, she thought, sitting up. And since when was I in the bed?

"How are you feeling?" Aizen asked.

Rayanne whipped her head around to look at him, startled. Instantly, she regretted it. Pain shot through her forehead, and she almost fell back again.

"Not much better, I take it?" Aizen smirked.

"Shut up," Rayanne muttered, clutching her forehead.

Aizen chuckled, then rose from his seat. "Come with me," he ordered, walking toward the door. Wary and curious at the same time, Rayanne stood and followed him out of the room. They walked along several corridors before Aizen stopped at a (surprise, surprise, white) door. To Rayanne's surprise, he turned to her and removed the collar. She became incredibly dizzy as her reiatsu rose, and only Aizen's arm wrapped firmly around her waist kept her from toppling over.

"My apologies," Aizen said when she was able to stand again. He smiled. "You'd think I'd remember to warn you."

"Mm-hmm," Rayanne muttered, rubbing her neck. Aizen pushed the door open and stepped inside, Rayanne following after a moment's pause. She was immensely surprised to see Gin and Tosen in the room. What surprised her the most, however, was the fountain in the middle of the place that was filling the air with a fine mist. Rayanne had a feeling she knew what the room was for, but she was puzzled as to why Aizen had brought her here.

"Ya were almost late, Captain Aizen," Gin chided playfully.

"Just taking care of things, Gin," Aizen answered with something that very much resembled a grin. "I trust you've figured out the purpose of this room?" he asked Rayanne, glancing back at her.

"I can hazard a guess," Rayanne answered. "The construction of reishi here would make it very easy to access your inner world."

"Very good," Aizen said.

Wordlessly Tosen and Gin sat cross-legged on the floor on opposite sides of the fountain. Aizen went over to the far side of the room and did the same, motioning for Rayanne to follow suit. She did, and closed her eyes when the other three closed theirs. However, after about a minute, she opened them again. The girl moved her legs so she was sitting with her knees bent and her legs positioned at her left side. It was the position Guardians used when in human form to call on their inner powers... or each other. There was something Rayanne wanted to try.

Every Guardian shared a bond with a wind steed, or flying horse. Even Shannon was bonded to a gray mare named Calara. Rayanne hadn't yet bonded with a wind steed, she hadn't even called one. That was what she intended to try now. According to the Guardians, one herd of wind steeds still lived in Hueco Mundo, and Rayanne hoped she would be able to communicate with them. If she could call one, just one, it may give her a means of escape. Rayanne closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, past the walls of Las Noches and out into the open desert. She could sense the wind steeds, but very faintly. They were quite a ways off, and Rayanne couldn't push her mind-sight any further. Hopefully her voice would cover the distance.

Hear me, Rayanne thought. Oh, please, hear me. I'm trapped, alone. I'm here. Where are you? She kept thinking things like this for several minutes, until she couldn't sustain the necessary power. Downhearted, Rayanne opened her eyes.

And started. Standing in front of her was a large strawberry roan horse with beautiful brown eyes. Rayanne knew instantly that this was a wind steed, one who had heard her call and decided to investigate. The creature lowered its head and sniffed her hair, then snorted softly. Rayanne quickly glanced around the room. Aizen, Gin and Tosen were still deep in their trance-like states. Rayanne looked back at the wind steed and stood slowly. She lay a hand on the soft, silky muzzle. She allowed the steed to feel her thoughts.

Who are you? the horse asked.

I am Rayanne, Rayanne answered. Who are you?

My name is Cinna, the steed, a mare, replied. It's short for Cinnamon Rose.

Oh, I can see why you're called that! Rayanne thought, smiling. Cinna's coat was a shade of pink-red that reminded her of a rose, and her back, the lightest part, was speckled with darker spots, like sprinkles of cinnamon. Cinna whickered softly, then nudged Rayanne's shoulder. Rayanne realized belatedly that her learning Cinna's name hadn't been a conversation, but more of a blending of thoughts. Rayanne being a half-blooded* shape shifter, the exchange had felt so natural that it had felt like the mare was speaking to her. The bond, Rayanne thought. First flight seals the bond. Rayanne knew this held true for wind steeds as much as it did for the creatures in Avatar. Strange how much humans know without knowing they know, she mused. She reached up and stroked Cinna's neck, and the mare nuzzled her shoulder.

A noise startled them.

Rayanne and Cinna quickly turned toward the fountain. From behind a veil of water, a dragon peered at them. It was a beautiful shade of violet, the scales on its underbelly a rich, deep blue. The mare and girl stared at the dragon, who stared right back. A shift in reiatsu brought them out of their reverie. The dragon seemed to disappear behind the fountain.

"Go! Run!" Rayanne hissed to Cinna. The mare dashed out the partially opened door, which Rayanne hastily shut. Immediately she dashed back to her spot, dropped to her original position and closed her eyes. When she sensed that Aizen, Gin and Tosen were awake, she opened them.

"Ow! I've been sittin' too long," Gin complained as he stood.

Rayanne also winced as she rose. She'd sat down so fast she'd gotten a leg cramp.

"You have my sympathy," she grinned, stretching her leg. Gin's grin widened.

"You would think you'd be used to it by now," Aizen mused, looking at Gin, who pretended to be indignant. "Come, Rayanne."

Rayanne barely held back an annoyed huff as she followed Aizen out the door. When they were in the hall, Aizen turned to her. Rayanne had to stop herself from cringing backward as he gently lifted her hair and placed the seal around her neck again. Rayanne, to her surprise, felt an inquiring presence in her mind.

Cinna.

Oh, my, God, Rayanne thought as she followed Aizen down the halls. A reiatsu seal can't interfere with the bond. Her inner elation came to an abrupt halt when they reached Aizen's rooms and she saw a glass of clear liquid sitting on the bedside table. Instantly she knew what it meant and stopped dead.

"No! No way!" Rayanne said as her captor pushed her forward.

"You really are quick," Aizen said as Rayanne attempted a sidestep. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, placing her hands around the glass. "Rayanne, if you will not do this willingly, then I will force it down your throat and tie you to the bed."

Rayanne knew he would, too. Her wolf took partial control, and she glanced around for an exit. Finding none, she looked pleadingly at Aizen, every part of her being saying 'please don't make me do this'. No such luck. Rayanne managed to trap Wolf before she took complete control, but her fear persisted. With trembling hands, she lifted the glass to her lips and drained it in one swallow. Rayanne set the glass back down, feeling her fear rise, but also start to fade a bit into a bitter anger. A tiny bit of her rebellious spirit returned, and she did not move. Her captor seemed to sense the shift in attitude.

"It will be all the worse for you if you struggle," he murmured to her. "Lie down."

Rayanne hesitated for a moment, then sat on the bed and allowed herself to fall back, filled with self-loathing. Instinctively she started to back away when Aizen leaned over her, but he gently gripped her shoulder to stop her. Rayanne tried to push him off, but her strength was already fading. She felt her reiatsu freed when Aizen removed the collar, and, to her relief, felt her connection to Cinna more strongly. Rayanne was distracted from that when Aizen parted her shinigami robes slightly to reveal her scar, and she gripped the sheets to keep from striking out at him. Aizen placed his hand on the mark, and soon Rayanne felt his reiatsu pressing down on her. She fought back. Soon, however, it became too much, and breathing became a struggle. When Rayanne was certain she would suffocate, Aizen reined in his power, leaving her gasping. She went limp, barely conscious.

"Stubborn to the last, aren't you?" Aizen said softly. He placed his hand over her eyes. This time, Rayanne didn't fight.

**(*) A/N 1: Half-blooded means someone who was partially turned into a Guardian. **


	14. Resistance and Resilience

**Chapter 13:**

**Resistance and Resilience**

Rayanne stood on the balcony, gazing out over Hueco Mundo. She was wearing a white uniform like the one Orihime had worn, and she didn't like it any more than she liked being here. The girl had lost all sense of time in this sunless world, and had no idea how long she'd been trapped. Aizen had her training now, sometimes with one of the Espadas, Gin, or Tosen, sometimes with him. Shannon had already taught her everything these people were showing her, and Rayanne had to work not to show how bored or how strong she was. Rayanne grinned. She'd actually managed to get Ulquiorra to go bug-eyed once, and Grimmjow thought it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever seen. Gin liked to watch Rayanne and Nnoitora spar. Nnoitora, sexist that he was, would insult the girl at every opportunity. Rayanne would return the favor a hundredfold. In Rayanne's opinion, her training sessions with Aizen were nowhere near as entertaining. They never practiced sword fighting, instead focusing on kido. Rayanne knew she was getting stronger, due to the fact that Aizen insisted on doing his little test every night, much to her dismay.

Rayanne sighed. It was obvious Aizen knew how she felt about it. He knew something about it frightened her, and he knew it was painful for her. Rayanne had to give him points for trying to make her relatively comfortable during those tests, but it really didn't help. Last time Ladin had come within a hair's breadth of gaining complete access to her mind. The girl shuddered, knowing that tonight the dark Immortal would probably have her in the palm of his hand. A movement below caught her attention.

"Hi, Rayanne!" Ukitake said, hanging off the banister.

"Agh!" Rayanne yelled, jumping back. She was even more startled when Komamura popped up beside him.

"What the heck are you two doing here?" Rayanne hissed.

"Busting you out," Ichigo replied, peering over the railing.

"Yamamoto finally agreed to send a rescue party. We're going to create a kido net below since your reiatsu's been sealed, and the reishi composition up here is so unstable at the moment that we can't get down either," Ukitake said.

"You guys are nuts," Rayanne grinned.

"Captain Ukitake, we're ready!" Rayanne heard Rukia call. Ichigo, Komamura and Ukitake all let go of the rail at once. Rayanne looked over in time to see them clambering out of a carefully woven kido net. Ichigo waved.

"Come on!" he called. Rayanne needed no encouragement, She stepped onto the banister and leaped off.

Something fastened around her ankle.

Rayanne gave a startled yell and looked up. Oh, no, she thought, heart rate increasing rather rapidly.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Aizen asked conversationally.

Rayanne was silent for a moment. "Base jumping?" she said.

Aizen sighed. "Rayanne, you should know by now that you will never escape." With that, he literally threw her back into the room.

Rayanne yelped as she landed, and horror welled up in her chest as she saw several Espada leap after her friends. Damn it, she thought, trying to stand. With a start, she realized she was tethered to the floor by a kido, one that also bound her wrists together. She struggled against it, but with her reiatsu sealed, it was hopeless. Rayanne looked up quickly when Aizen appeared beside her. He grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, bringing a few reflex tears to her eyes. Before she could react, he'd poured a vial of drugged water down her throat. Immediately, Rayanne felt her limbs lose their strength. No, she thought, heart sinking. She struggled feebly as Aizen lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, placing her down gently. Rayanne wanted nothing more than to fight back, but the drug had acted so quickly that this time she was helpless. Damn it, he's going to get me this time for sure, the girl thought, tilting her head back. Her eyes stung, and her wolf wanted to howl in despair. To Rayanne's surprise, Aizen gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"Come now. There's no need to look so miserable," he said, smiling.

"Easy for you to say," Rayanne muttered as he placed one hand on her scar. Her eyes widened in shock.

Instead of the usual press of reiatsu, Aizen was allowing his power to intertwine with hers almost completely. It hurt quite badly, feeling to Rayanne as she was being torn apart. She arched her back, nails digging into the sheets. She closed her eyes, teeth bared in a wolfish snarl of pain. Rayanne felt Aizen's mouth cover hers, silencing her tiny whimpers. It distracted her momentarily, and that was a moment too long. In an instant, darkness covered Rayanne's senses, and she gave a cry of pain and fear when she felt Ladin's presence at the heart of her mind, at the very center of her inner world.

You are mine, girl.

Oh, no, she's not.

To the surprise of both Rayanne and Ladin, the dark Immortal was immediately pushed aside by his furious counterpart.

What are you doing here? Ladin hissed. How are you this strong? You were half dead when I left you.

You left me in your dungeon to bleed to death and rot for a week! Shannon shot back. Even in your shadow universe, I heal pretty quickly. I am **bored **out of my **skull **over here!

Rayanne had to hold back a laugh. Even as a prisoner, Shannon didn't lose her sense of humor or her attitude. Rayanne was distracted from the two bickering Immortals when Aizen used her mind-in-another-place state to his advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Rayanne emitted an indignant squeak and tried to bite him, but he'd been expecting it and firmly grasped her lower jaw.

Oh, ew! Shannon said, coming to the fore. That is **nasty**!

You're telling me. Where's Ladin? Rayanne thought back as she squirmed beneath her captor.

I shoved him out, Shannon responded. He's gonna give me hell when he gets back here, though.

Rayanne felt her mentor's presence start to fade.

One more thing, Shannon spoke up suddenly. Knee him in the side, below the ribs. It can be pretty painful. With that, she was gone, and Rayanne heeded her advise. She actually managed to knock Aizen off, which pleased her immensely.

"You don't like to give up, do you?" Aizen asked, smiling in amusement while Rayanne sat up and gagged.

"What was your first clue?" Rayanne replied. She'd managed to push the drug back and hold her own against it until now, and she believed that was long enough. For the first time in a while, she welcomed sleep with open arms.

xxXXxx

Rayanne woke to find Aizen a little too close for comfort. Doing her best not to wake him, she inched away and slid out of bed. Wolf immediately started jumping, and this time Rayanne didn't fight her. In a few moments, a wolf stood where the girl had been.

Wolf Rayanne trotted to the door, having heard something that interested her. She heard it again. She looked back toward the bed. The male the creatures here deferred to as alpha was still asleep. The two-legged self urged her on. We are not escaping, after all, she said. She nudged the door open and trotted into the hall, moving toward the sound. Suddenly a new scent reached her nose, the heavy scent of milk. The wolf broke into a run, finding a small crawl space. She pushed forward, as though stalking prey, emerging in a large room. Near the strange stone trees were the two foxes. The female, Cherry, lay on her side, the bulge in her belly painfully obvious. Her mate Tsuku stood by her side, licking her ear.

The pups are coming, the wolf realized. She trotted over, growling softly in greeting. Tsuku barked happily. Cherry gave a weak yip, then whined in pain. The wolf recognized it as a sign that it was time. Cherry shuddered, then the contractions began. Her mate stayed by her head and licked her ears and face, while her wolf friend licked her belly to ease the pain. The first pup emerged, head first. One more push, and it was out in this vast new world. The wolf, knowing its mother was too preoccupied and weak, moved and licked the pup instead, getting the blood flowing and making breathing easier. Once she was satisfied, she pushed the pup to its mother's belly so it could find milk, then moved to help the next. Two, three, four, five, six pups in all were born, and all survived their first minutes of life. A good sigh. The ordeal left all three adults worn out. Cherry closed her eyes and was asleep in an instant. Tsuku curled up beside her and fell asleep. Rayanne moved to lie down as well, but a voice stopped her.

"I had no idea you were such a good midwife," it hissed.

Rayanne whipped around and faced her old enemy; Ayamoshi, in human form. Immediately she stepped in front of the fox family, her lips drawn back in a furious snarl, ready to protect the newborn pups and their parents. Ayamoshi laughed.

"You soft fool," he said.

The transformation went quickly, and the two shape shifters leapt at one another. The serpent attempted to wrap his coils around the wolf, but she clawed at his face, trying to get his eyes. As the two crashed to the floor, Rayanne glanced back at the foxes. Cherry had her tail curled around her suckling pups. Tsuku stood in front of them, bristling.

Go! Get help! Rayanne growled at him, slashing her enemy's face.

No! Tsuku answered.

We cannot move your mate and the pups, and I cannot hold him off for long! Rayanne all but howled. Get help! Tsuku, recognizing the urgency in her voice, dashed out of the room.

You're dead, Ayamoshi hissed. Surrender to me now, and I might let your little white friends and their six brats live. Rayanne responded to his 'offer' by biting his nose. The two shape shifters scuffled for a few seconds, each trying to gain the upper hand. The ex-serpent lord lashed out at Rayanne with his tail, the sharp edges of his new scales cutting deeply. Dodging a harsh strike, Rayanne leaped, claws snagging just above his eyes. Ayamoshi hissed in pain, throwing his head back. When he lunged forward again, Rayanne was thrown off. She landed hard, nearly breaking her ribs again. The change slammed into her full force, and she hissed softly as she returned to human form.

Rayanne opened her eyes and stood, vision hazy. She realized with a start that Aizen and Gin were in the room, along with Tosen, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Hearing a groan, she turned and looked toward the back of the room. Holy cow... Ayamoshi had returned to human form as well. And he was glaring at her as he rose to his feet.

"Queen Amenaki! First ruler of the wolf clan!" Ayamoshi jeered. "Look at you! You're pathetic! That was just a part of my new strength."

"Ayamoshi, former lord of the serpent clan, what did you do to yourself," Rayanne asked. Her enemy grinned wickedly.

"Made a pact," he said, pulling his collar aside. Rayanne stared at the mark on his neck.

"You fool," she whispered in horror. "What have you done?"

"Your title is as good as mine. I have gained more power in a single night than you will in your entire lifetime!"

"What you have done is sold your mind, body, and soul to a creature worse than any devil! He will destroy you, Ayamoshi!" Rayanne shot back.

"Not if I destroy him first," Ayamoshi countered.

"Oh, my...!" Rayanne said, clutching her head. Either this guy was a complete idiot, or he really had no clue who he was dealing with. A sharp pain in her side snapped her out of her thoughts. Gasping, she fell to her knees, clutching the awful wound Ayamoshi's spell had opened in her side. Apparently he'd gained some magical ability as well.

"You think you can win?" the ex-serpent lord cried. "You don't even have the dragons' blood!"

Rayanne looked up at him. She smiled. "I don't have the dragons' blood? Are you sure?"

Rayanne knew she was probably going to regret this later. The change hurt, but not as badly as it had the first time. Soon Rayanne stood in full dragon form directly in front of her oldest enemy, teeth bared, a growl rumbling in her throat. Ayamoshi's eyes widened in shock, as did Aizen's, Tosen's, Grimmjow's and Ulquiorra's. Gin even opened his eyes a bit. Rayanne paid them no mind, lunging forward and snapping at Ayamoshi. He leaped out of the way just in time, barely avoiding slashing claws and a lashing tail. Rayanne decided that now was the time to try something. She opened her jaws and breathed a rush of yellow flame. Unfortunately, she was unprepared for the strange sensation of smoke in her nostrils, and soon had to close her mouth. When she could see again, she saw that Ayamoshi had fled through a hole in the wall. Rayanne, somewhat reluctantly, returned to human form. Immediately the pain in her side returned full force, and she doubled over, coughing. Before she could fall, strong arms encircled her waist and held her upright.

"Tosen, Ulquiorra, see if you can find that man," Aizen said, lifting Rayanne into his arms.

"Yes, sir," the two said in unison.

Rayanne was still slightly disoriented, and didn't really register what was going on until they were in the hall. Oh, I'm screwed, she thought when she realized what was happening. She struggled weakly in Aizen's arms, but he only tightened his grip.

"Rayanne, really," he said. "I need to get you back so I can heal you. I know you are aware that some of your wounds are poisoned."

Rayanne did know that, but still. When Aizen entered his rooms and laid her down on the bed, he gently slid the white uniform off her shoulders and arms, leaving Rayanne in a sort of tank top that covered her chest and upper torso. She was surprised to see how bloodstained her clothes were. I'm worse than I thought, she mused. She waited patiently while Aizen healed the wounds on her sides and chest, then obligingly rolled onto her stomach when he gently pushed on her shoulder. She tensed reflexively when she felt Aizen begin to heal the injuries on her back. She heard him laugh softly.

"Your wolf doesn't like that much, does she?" he asked.

"In all honesty, no," Rayanne answered.

"My apologies, Your Majesty," Aizen said, and Rayanne could hear the amusement in his voice. She clenched the sheets in her fist and buried her face in a pillow. She stayed that way until Aizen flipped her onto her back again.

"That was quite the impressive display," Aizen mused, tracing the side of her face with his hand.

"I did say you should kill me," Rayanne replied.

"Well, that would be something of a waste, now, wouldn't it?" Aizen said.

Oh, great, Rayanne thought. Suddenly Aizen covered her eyes again. She knew fighting would be pointless, considering how weak she was, so she allowed herself to slip into a peaceful sleep.


	15. Blood Rune

**Chapter 14:**

**Blood Rune**

Rayanne woke feeling a little sore, but other than that was none the worse for wear. However, when she remembered the events of the previous day, a nasty sense of dread swept over her. Quickly she stepped out of bed.

"Finally awake?" Aizen asked.

Rayanne yelped and jumped, almost slipping when pain crackled up her ankle. Aizen laughed as Rayanne regained her balance. She glared at him, but the look never really reached her eyes.

"It was not that funny," she muttered indignantly.

"In your eyes I suppose it wouldn't be," Aizen smiled. He turned toward the door. "Come."

Dread returning full force, Rayanne followed him out of the room and into the halls. Eventually Aizen pushed a door open and, when Rayanne hesitated, pushed her inside. Instantly, she froze.

The fact that they were in Szayel's lab played a part in that, yes, but two of the people in there really got Rayanne's attention. What the...? she thought.

"Rayanne!" Rukia exclaimed.

"What?" Ichigo said, turning around. Rayanne opened her mouth to respond.

"Greetings, Lord Aizen," Szayel said as said man stepped in and shut the door. "I have made all the preparations."

"Thank you, Szayel," Aizen said.

"Preparations for what?" Rayanne asked. It had better not be what I think it is.

When Szayel and Aizen continued talking, Rayanne started to edge toward Ichigo and Rukia. When she stood right next to them, she carefully started to reach for the collar on Ichigo's neck, her hand shifting into a dragon's claw. Ichigo's eyes widened, but he stayed silent.

Any ways out? Rayanne mouthed as she hooked Ichigo's collar with a claw.

No, Rukia mouthed back. Can you get yours off?

Rayanne shook her head. The material's too tough, she replied, getting ready to tear Ichigo's collar off.

"What are you three doing?" Szayel asked suddenly. Rayanne abruptly brought her hand to her side, quickly changing it back to normal.

"Talking politics," Rukia said quickly.

"More like mocking authority," Rayanne muttered.

"That's my job," Ichigo said.

A vein twitched in Szayel's forehead, and Rayanne barely suppressed a grin. Rukia had probably been going on like this all morning. She figured Aizen had guessed the same thing, judging from the amusement in his eyes.

"Come, Rayanne," he said suddenly, turning toward the back of the room.

"If you're planning on doing what I think you are, I'm staying right here," Rayanne retorted. Aizen glanced back at her.

"I do not believe you are in any position to resist, Rayanne," he said.

Rayanne knew he was right, but the threat of getting your willpower stolen is not appealing in the least. Rayanne walked over to Aizen, all outward appearances saying she was completely submissive. Unfortunately, Aizen being... well, Aizen, saw right through that act, and gripped her arm before she could run or do something equally stupid.

"Nice try," he murmured in her ear, pulling her into a back room and shutting the door.

"Not nice enough," Rayanne muttered.

The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on her back on a table. Aizen, who had her pinned down, uttered a quick kido. Rayanne felt something wrap around her wrists and ankles, and belatedly realized the things as leather straps. There was some relief in the fact that she was not being restrained by metal, and with her wrists by her ears and her knees bent slightly, she had some room to move. When Aizen released her, Rayanne tested her bonds. Practically no give. The straps were loose enough not to cut of her circulation, but tight enough so she couldn't squirm out of them.

"So, can you tell me what you believe I'm going to do?" Aizen asked. Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat.

"A blood rune," she said softly.

"So you know of them," Aizen mused, studying her face. "You don't think I'm going to take your will, do you?"

Wait, what? Rayanne thought. Aizen chuckled softly at her confused look, lightly tracing her jaw line with his fingertips. "I hope you don't think I'm that cruel."

You're not? Rayanne thought bitterly. "Then what are you doing?" she asked as the man's fingers trailed down her neck.

"It's much simpler," Aizen said as his fingertips came to rest on Rayanne's chest, just below the jewel pendant. "All I'm going to do is place a stronger seal on your power, one that I have more direct control over."

That's not much better, Rayanne thought. Suddenly a loud crash came from the lab, followed by an indignant "what the hell" from Ichigo. Hoo, boy, Rayanne thought. Aizen glanced at the door.

"Hm. I wonder what Szayel's doing," he mused. He looked back at Rayanne. "Don't worry. I've placed a one-way sound barrier around this room. We can hear them, but they can't hear us."

Translation: I don't want your friends doing something stupid when you scream, Rayanne thought, suppressing a shudder. Aizen turned away from her, and she began fighting her restraints again, more frantically this time. She tried to transform, but to her horror realized she couldn't call either her wolf or her dragon. Aizen faced her again, and Rayanne had to suppress her panic when she noticed he held a thin knife.

"Your self control is amazing," Aizen commented.

"What do you mean?" Rayanne asked.

"You know what I intend to do," her captor responded, coming to stand beside her. "You know about blood runes. I trust you know what the process of creating a blood rune means for you, yet you remain composed." Rayanne tensed as Aizen rested the blade of the knife near the base of her throat. "That's more than can be said for some of my arrancars." Rayanne felt the blade pierce her skin slightly.

"You know what happens now," Aizen said, observing the fear Rayanne was certain showed in her eyes. She nodded, even though she knew it hadn't been a question. Aizen pressed harder, and blood welled around the blade. Rayanne had been cut innumerable times in battle, but this was different, and not in a good way. This was slow and deliberate, and the energy in the blade made it feel like acid was seeping into her blood. She screamed and arched her back, wild pain surging through her like a river of fire. Again she struggled against her bindings, and again it did no good. Aizen worked quickly, but to Rayanne it seemed like decades passed before he stopped. Then he took the blade and cut his own palm, wincing at the unexpected burn. Rayanne looked away as he pressed his bleeding hand to the symbol he'd carved on her chest. This pain was different from the previous agony. Rayanne, already worn out, could only manage a small cry as she felt her dragon power sealed, feeling like a part of her had been ripped away. When the ache finally subsided, Rayanne felt drained, exhausted. Glancing at Aizen, she could tell he'd been affected, too, though not as much as her. She was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness when she felt her bindings give way.

"Can you walk?" Aizen asked.

Hesitantly Rayanne sat up and attempted to stand. The moment she tried to support herself, her legs gave way and she toppled forward. Aizen quickly caught her and set her back on her feet.

"I suppose that was too much to hope for," Aizen smiled.

"Thank y..." Rayanne wasn't able to finish her sarcastic comment. An all too familiar darkness entered her mind, and with a short gasp she collapsed. Aizen, caught off guard, fell to his knees as well. Rayanne clutched her head with one hand, wrapping her other arm around her chest. On the edges of her consciousness she was aware of Aizen speaking to her, but she wasn't listening.

Get out, get out, get out, Rayanne thought, throwing all her willpower into that thought.

If you insist, Ladin laughed. Rayanne was startled when he actually left. Okay, he's up to something, she thought as her vision swam back into focus. With a start she realized she was lying in Aizen's arms. Awkward, much?

"Are you alright?" Aizen asked.

"I'll be fine," Rayanne answered, managing to get to her feet. Actually, she wasn't sure about that. Not very sure at all.


	16. Strength of Will

**Chapter 15:**

**Strength of Will**

Rayanne was standing on the balcony again, doing her best to ignore the ache in her chest. She may not have access to her dragon power, but to her relief she could feel Cinna's presence if she concentrated. Suddenly she doubled over, clutching her forehead. She gasped as sensations and emotions swept over her; darkness, pain, and, worst of all, a helpless rage. Shannon severed the connection before too much could happen, but it still left Rayanne gasping. Feeling sick at heart, Rayanne managed to stand up straight again. She now understood all too well what Ladin had done when Aizen had created the blood rune. The dark Immortal had created an intense psychic link between her and her mentor. Rayanne could, at times, feel exactly what her mentor was feeling. Unfortunately, nowadays that was nothing but pain. Shannon usually could break the connection before too much happened, but when she couldn't manage that, it was a living hell. Rayanne felt tears prick her eyes as she leaned on the balcony railing, thinking of what Shannon was going through. She heard a noise behind her and turned. Aizen stood in the doorway, watching her.

"Do you do this often?" Aizen asked, slightly amused.

Rayanne smiled grimly. "You might say that," she responded, turning back to the edge of the balcony. She barely suppressed a yelp of surprise when strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against a firm chest.

"You may be a prisoner, Rayanne, but I don't want you to be completely miserable here," Aizen said, his right arm encircling her torso.

Rayanne was too stunned to move. You don't want me to be completely miserable? She thought. Could've fooled me. Probably guessing what she was thinking, Aizen laughed softly. Gently, he grasped her chin and tilted her head back, just far enough so he was able to look into her eyes.

"So tell me, what have you been doing these past two years?" Aizen asked.

"What, you weren't paying attention?" Rayanne said, half serious, half teasing. Aizen chuckled softly, releasing her chin and gently stroking her neck.

"I was... otherwise engaged," he said. Rayanne sighed inwardly.

"Mostly I was getting used to the whole 'being queen' idea," she began. More quietly she added, "I met your friend Naoki."

She felt Aizen tense in shock. "How?"

Rayanne smiled briefly. "I assume you've been doing some reading on the traditions of the shape shifters?"

"You're perceptive," Aizen commented.

"According to Ulquiorra, I've been here for three months. I do notice when you come in late," Rayanne responded. She went on, "Naoki is actually the son of the current eagle lord, Ryukin."

"He's a shape shifter?" Aizen asked, surprised. Then he laughed. "I suppose I should have guessed, after I found out about you. He always was the best hunter of all of us."

"He took me to meet the rest of your old gang, too," Rayanne said.

"Do they all still live together?" Aizen asked.

"Yes," Rayanne replied, a little shocked. Aizen didn't strike her as the reminiscent type, especially when it came to his life in the Rukongai. Yet there had been genuine curiosity in his voice when he'd asked about his old 'family', and a true fondness when he'd referred to Naoki. Unusual, to say the least. "Actually," Rayanne said, "when the Winter War was over and they found out I was sick of life at court, they asked me if I'd like to come live with them."

"You probably should have. You might have been happy there," Aizen said. With that he gently grasped Rayanne's chin and turned her head so she faced him, bringing their mouths together. This time, the kiss was soft and almost ridiculously gentle, and Rayanne's shock increased. Before she could figure out how to react, Aizen pulled away. Abruptly he turned and walked back inside. I hate it when he does that, Rayanne thought.

"Are you coming in?" Aizen asked, glancing over his shoulder. "It's getting late."

Muttering something about perpetual day and night, Rayanne followed him inside. Wordlessly, Rayanne shut the door, walked over to the bed and settled down. She started when something brushed her back. She heard Aizen chuckle softly, and then the light clicked off. Sighing softly in annoyance, Rayanne settled down again and closed her eyes.

xxXXxx

Aizen was woken by a soft hiss. He opened his eyes and looked over at Rayanne, who was still fast asleep. He was about to dismiss the noise as the remnants of a dream when Rayanne winced visibly. Aizen gently flipped her onto her back. Startled, he noticed she was covered with a thin sheen of sweat, and it looked like just breathing was causing her pain. Aizen placed his hand on the blood rune and directed a pulse of reiatsu in Rayanne. Soon her breathing became more even, but she didn't come close to relaxing. Another nightmare, Aizen thought. Briefly he wondered if the blood rune was the problem, but his attention returned to Rayanne when she gave a small cry. Without much thought, Aizen lay down and wrapped his arms around his captive, pulling her to him. After a little while, Rayanne stopped trembling and finally relaxed. Then, to Aizen's surprise, she rolled over and actually pressed her forehead against his shoulder. Her subconscious certainly contradicts her waking self, Aizen thought, both amused and startled. Strange how that works, don't you think?

xxXXxx

Rayanne woke and somewhat reluctantly opened her eyes.

What. The. Freaking. Hell.

Rayanne considered four feet being too close for comfort, and did her best to maintain such a distance from her captor during the night. So how in hell had she ended up lying in his arms, practically using his shoulder as a pillow? She blinked, and Aizen shifted slightly. Rayanne glanced up and found herself staring into two dark brown orbs.

"Dare I ask what happened?" Rayanne asked.

"Good morning to you, too," Aizen replied, smiling. "To answer your question, you had another nightmare."

Rayanne, remembering the events of the previous night, shuddered involuntarily. It had been a nightmare, yes, but the worst part was that it had also been a memory. She flinched when Aizen placed his fingertips on the blood rune.

"Wh.." Rayanne started. Then she felt Aizen on the fringes of her inner world. She tried to stop him, but it was too late.

xXxXxXxX

Her little sister's cries and her baby brother's screams reach her ears. She hears her mother's voice, tight with fury, pain and fear all at once. Whimpering quietly, the little dark-haired girl creeps farther into the shadows.

"How could you do this?" her mother says. "Your brother... your little sisters..."

"Mean nothing to me," comes the smooth voice. One the girl recognizes, one she has hated as long as she can remember. She can still feel that hatred now, though it is accompanied by a terrible, terrible fear.

"Especially that sneaky little wolf brat you love so much." Now the voice is full of disgust. Then a wicked joy seeps into it. "Her death, at least, will be at my hands. I will force her to watch every last one of you as your life's blood leaves your bodies. Then I will make certain her death is as slow and painful as possible."

Her mother gives a wordless cry of rage that is cut off suddenly.

"Where are you, little one?" comes that deadly voice.

"In here," says another, a man, barging into the room the girl hides in, seeing her cowering beneath a toppled bookshelf. With a terrible grin, he grabs her arm and drags her from her hiding place. The girl emits a cry that is both snarl of rage and whine of fear. She was reduced to barely audible whimpers as she is dragged into the next room. Her mother is lying on the floor, her eyes staring lifelessly at the wood of the ceiling. Crimson blood stains her white nightgown and the floor around her. Her little sister, only four years old, is sobbing in the grip of a second man, who is also holding her baby brother, who is wailing for all he is worth.

"Nice of you to join us, Rayanne." She looks at the third man, the one with hair the color of dark chocolate. His eyes burn with malicious joy at seeing her like this, trembling with fear and anger in the grasp of his wicked mercenary. Turning to the one holding her siblings, he says, "Give the boy to me. Help him hold her."

The man looks like he is about to protest.

"Fool! She may not be of my clan, but she is still an heir to the throne! She is more dangerous than she looks!"

Wincing as though struck, the man complies.

Her brother's death, mercifully, is swift and painless. She cries out once, in denial, not wanting to believe this is real. Her sister's screams go on and on. The man smiles, a frightening smile of gleeful slaughter. Then he takes her sister from one of his mercenaries. The older sister tries to lunge at him, snarling in fury, feeling the animal in her struggling to reach the surface. For some reason, she cannot. Her little sister is sobbing brokenly as the man places a knife to her neck. He looks at the raven-haired girl and smiles.

"For my brother," he says.

The girl is dead before she hits the ground. Her older sister flinches as she hears the soft thud, her cry lodged in her throat, her eyes blurred with unshed tears. She is barely aware of the men holding her locking chains around her wrists, securing her to the wall.

"And now," the man speaks softly, walking to her, crouching down, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him. Her vision is blurred by tears.

"It is your turn," he whispers, drawing a knife, a bright red gem embedded in the hilt. He smiles at her. She stares up at him, trembling slightly and barely suppressing her whimpers.

He drives the knife into her chest.

She screams as the pain surges through her. And screams again as he yanks the blade free, her blood dripping from it, flowing from the wound on her chest.

The beast, the other her, surges forward at last. The other two flee in terror, while the evil one stands still. She can see the fear in his eyes, smell it on him, once she has changed. She relishes it. Her lips are drawn back in a snarl of pure rage. With a howl that promises death, she leaps at this hated man. Joy surges through her as her claws rake his chest, as he screams in pain and fear. Snarling in triumph, eyes shining with malice, she throws her head forward, jaws fastening around his neck. The taste of his blood satisfies her... for the moment.

XxXxXxXx

Aizen drew his hand back and returned his focus to Rayanne. Her breathing had become noticeably deeper, and her eyes held the shadowed pain of an old loss.

"I had no idea you were an orphan," Aizen said.

"Not a lot of people do," Rayanne answered curtly.

"Well I think I understand now where your strong willpower comes from," Aizen said softly.

"Did you see...?" Rayanne wasn't able to finish.

"Yes," Aizen answered.

Rayanne let out a shuddering breath. Now he knows pretty much everything about me, she thought. To her surprise, Aizen pulled her to him, holding her against his chest. What the...?

"You're trembling," Aizen murmured. "Is this memory still that painful?"

Rayanne said nothing.

"I have killed, Rayanne, even if it was indirect most of the time. Even so, I cannot empathize with you. Having to kill your own brother..."

"Half-brother, and for the record, he and I were never exactly close," Rayanne interrupted.

"Yet the memory still pains you," Aizen said. Rayanne again had no response. She felt a hand curl around the back of her neck, tilting her head up. Aizen's lips met hers, and for once Rayanne didn't push him away. She felt no shock this time, only confusion. She didn't understand why her captor would have this sudden change of heart. He was probably acting, of course. Actually Rayanne was fairly certain he was. She decided to play along for now. Rayanne almost went back on that choice when Aizen lightly traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. She forced herself not to pull back or let Wolf slide forward. After a brief hesitation, Rayanne allowed her captor to slip his tongue into her mouth. To her surprise and relief, he pulled back almost immediately and just held her to him.

"I never would have thought you'd allow me to do that," Aizen mused.

"Neither did I," Rayanne muttered.

xxXXxx

A few hours later, Rayanne was walking down a hallway with Ulquiorra. A nasty sense of foreboding was rising in the pit of her stomach, which reached its peak when the Espada stopped at a door. He pushed it open and stood aside.

"You have one hour," he said, emotionless as ever.

What? Rayanne thought, stepping past him, the thud of the closing door making her teeth rattle. She looked around the room.

"Oh, my God!" she said, running forward and kneeling beside Rukia, who was cradling Ichigo's head in her lap.

"What happened?" Rayanne asked.

"I don't know," Rukia said, voice shaking. "Grimmjow brought him back from the eighth Espada's lab like this."

Rayanne placed a hand on Ichigo's forehead. The poor kid was barely conscious. She frowned, sensing his energy.

"His spirit centers are all messed up. That would make anyone feel sick," she said.

"That's not it," Ichigo said, very weakly. Rukia glanced down at him in shock.

"Then what is?" Rayanne asked. Then," Oh, no. Aizen forced you to see his shikai, didn't he?"

Rukia gasped. Ichigo nodded. Rayanne smiled bitterly. "It's not all over, you know."

"I was the only one who wasn't under his hypnosis. I was the only one who could fight him," Ichigo said, almost whispering.

Rayanne shook her head. "The whole reason Aizen became so interested in me is because of that damned sword. Kyoka Suigetsu's hypnosis doesn't affect shape shifters. Unfortunately, he noticed it didn't work on me and had me brought here when he defected."

Rukia placed her hand on top of Rayanne's in a sympathetic gesture. Rayanne smiled at her, and Rukia returned it, albeit weakly. They looked down at Ichigo as he began to shiver.

Wordlessly Rayanne stood and took a few steps back.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked.

"You'll see," Rayanne answered. She closed her eyes and allowed Wolf to come to the fore.

Rukia's eyes widened when Rayanne shifted. She'd known what her friend was, but seeing it with her own eyes was... another thing. Rayanne trotted forward and lay down, curling her body around Ichigo's the way a mother wolf would with her pups. She gently licked his face. Ichigo's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Rayanne."

"Wow," he said softly. Then he scratched under her chin. "You're kinda cute like that."

Rayanne growled playfully. Ichigo smiled, then closed his eyes again. His head fell back into Rukia's lap. Rayanne kept her position next to him. They stayed that way until Ulquiorra came for Rayanne.

xxXXxx

Soon Rayanne found herself back in Aizen's quarters, unfortunately with the man himself. He was sitting at a table, drinking tea and reading reports. He'd been doing that since Rayanne had come in, only pausing to give her a brief greeting. Rayanne had returned the greeting, then curled up on the couch to read. Well, pretending to read. She was actually deciphering some ancient runes she'd found in the section of the library she was supposed to stay out of. This went on for over an hour, and Rayanne hit a roadblock when she came to an incredibly faded rune. She was drawing a few symbols she knew to try to match the unknown rune with one of them.

"Have you finished translating that line yet?" Aizen asked.

Rayanne was so startled she dropped her book, pen and papers with a short gasp. She glanced up at her captor, who was smirking and resting his chin on his hand.

"Um, how long have you known?" Rayanne asked.

"About an hour," Aizen responded. Whoops, Rayanne thought.

"Did you have a pleasant time with your friends?" Aizen asked, standing.

Rayanne was silent as he moved toward her. "What you did to Ichigo... you tried to do that to me, didn't you? When you made me touch to Hogyoku."

"Yes," Aizen said, coming to stand over her. "You seem to pose a strange resistance to the Hogyoku's power."

Gee, I wonder why that is, Rayanne thought. She flinched reflexively when Aizen touched her cheek,

"Now," he said, lowering his voice, "there is another, much more refined method I'd like to use with you."

Oh, hell, no, Rayanne thought. She pressed herself against the back of the couch as Aizen gently pushed the top layer of her uniform off her shoulders, once again leaving her in a sort of white camisole. She shivered a bit as the cool air came into contact with her skin. Rayanne tried to control her unease, but even so she trembled as her captor grasped her arms and made her lie back. He noticed her fear.

"It's alright," Aizen spoke gently. "I'm not going to disrupt the balance of your power. This is similar to what we've already done."

Oh, really? Rayanne thought, but she blinked in acknowledgement. She flinched when he rolled her top up a few inches and placed his fingertips on her stomach.

"There will be some pain at first," Aizen warned her. "It will ease after a while."

Rayanne braced herself as she felt Aizen's reiatsu rise. She cried out as he directed his power into her, barely keeping herself from screaming. She arched her back and groaned while Aizen murmured comforting nothingness into her ear. In a few moments the pain faded a bit, and Rayanne relaxed slightly. Then Aizen moved his hands to her sides, and the pain returned full force. Rayanne threw her head back, biting back her screams and settling for another groan. She felt Aizen's mouth cover hers, stifling her pained cries. Her fists clenched as she forced herself to bear the searing agony. Aizen moved his hands up to her ribcage, and the pain surged again. Rayanne whined and craned her neck back, but Aizen quickly deepened the kiss, and Rayanne had to admit it was a welcome distraction. When Aizen moved one hand to her chest, Rayanne almost passed out. She felt every muscle in her body tense, and her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into the skin. To her surprise, Aizen grasped her wrist and pressed lightly on her veins. The odd sensation served to distract her from the pain even further.

Rayanne relaxed when Aizen drew his hand from her chest and broke the kiss. It took her a few moments to realize he was still holding her wrist. Needless to say, she found it a little uncomfortable. Rayanne tried to move, and instantly a searing pain shot through her limbs. She hissed softly and went still again.

"You won't be able to walk for a while," Aizen cautioned, releasing her wrist.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Rayanne muttered weakly. I hope this is the last time he does this test, or I won't be able to defend myself if Ladin decides to finish me off.


	17. The Great Escape

**Chapter 16:**

**The Great Escape**

Rayanne woke and found herself lying in Aizen's arms. Oh, damn it, not again, she thought. She was facing away from him this time, though, so that was some consolation. She shifted slightly.

"Finally awake?" Aizen asked, startling Rayanne.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"Only a few minutes," Aizen answered.

You could have just left, Rayanne thought somewhat icily. She felt a throbbing pain begin in her shoulders, and with a hiss of pain she rolled onto her back. She was startled when Aizen pulled her to him and placed his hand on the blood rune. In a few seconds the pain in Rayanne's back subsided.

"I'm not sure which is more headstrong, your wolf or your dragon," Aizen said. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "Your friends from the Gotei 13 have sent another rescue party."

Rayanne was instantly wide awake. "Are they nuts?"

"They have already freed your friends, and are currently searching for you," Aizen said.

"Why are you telling me this?" Rayanne asked.

"No real reason," Aizen answered, releasing her and stepping out of the bed.

"So, what? Am I just going to be locked in here with a guard?" Rayanne asked.

"No," Aizen answered, startling her with his smooth tone. He turned toward her "You will accompany me at all times."

Oh, my God, you have to be kidding me! Rayanne thought. Her annoyance must have shown a bit because Aizen smiled.

"You forget I know your tricks with locks, Rayanne. Now come," he said, turning toward the door. Feeling like she was dragging lead weights, Rayanne complied.

xxXXxx

After being Aizen's shadow for half the day, Rayanne was fairly sick of it. He gave her very little leeway when it came to distance. She'd already been testing his limits, lagging behind at random intervals, slowing down around corners, things like that. She'd almost managed to slip away once, and she was very proud of herself for managing to get that far. Things started to look up during a meeting with the Espadas. Rayanne stood next to Gin, and became immensely bored in the space of three minutes. She did, fortunately, find a way to amuse herself. She found that, if she concentrated, she could use a little bit of her magic power. And she used it to braid Tosen's hair, much to the amusement of both Gin and Grimmjow. Then Rayanne decided to have a little fun with static electricity and Ulquiorra. It was a little difficult, but eventually the Cuarto Espada's head looked like half of a very fuzzy black kitten.

This time everyone in the room noticed.

Nnoitora and Yammy were both grinning like idiots. Starrk actually smiled, and Szayel coughed to cover up his laughter. Grimmjow didn't even bother to conceal his sniggers, and even Barragan and Zommari were trying not to laugh. Judging by the way their shoulders were shaking, Aarroneiro and Harribel were laughing, too.

"Aw, he's so adorable," Gin whispered in Rayanne's ear. Rayanne covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. It was obvious Ulquiorra didn't have a clue what everyone found so amusing. He looked around the room, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. The moment his eyes left her, Rayanne felt something... or rather someone... land on her shoulder.

Finally I found you, a transformed Aya squawked.

Rayanne could hardly conceal her joy.

What are you doing here? she growled softly.

We sent a rescue party of our own, Aya answered. She gestured upward with her beak. Rayanne glanced at the beams on top of the stone pillars. On them she saw a truly wonderful sight.

A black panther. A snow leopard. A great-horned owl. A golden eagle; she assumed it was Ryukin. Looking at the forest of pillars, Rayanne saw a white wolf, several gray wolves, even a red wolf. There was a pine martin, and otter, a porcupine, and numerous small birds. A dark bay horse and a couple black horses waited further back.

"Wow. I'm flattered," Rayanne said softly.

Well, you are the queen, Aya responded. There's a few others, but you can't see them without being totally obvious.

Suddenly she and Rayanne tensed as they heard the click of claws on stone.

Please tell me that's more of your group, Rayanne growled softly.

No, Aya answered.

They turned as Cherry, Tsuku and all six of their pups walked into the meeting room. Cherry and Tsuku immediately walked over to Gin. The pups went with them at first, then the more adventurous ones began to explore. Rayanne felt a slight tug on her collar, and realized Aya was in the process of pecking/clawing her way through it. Rayanne was distracted from her friend, however, when she heard a loud screech and excited yips and growls coming from the pillars.

Oh, no, she thought as two white fox pups dragged an indignant peregrine falcon into sight. Not wanting to hurt the pups, it whapped one on the nose with a wing, using the other wing to hit the other in the head. Completely oblivious to the stares they were getting, the pups yelped and ran back to their parents. Rayanne made a point of staring at the falcon when Aizen glanced back at her, making certain she looked surprised.

Now! Aya screeched.

As though they had rehearsed it, Rayanne tore the collar off as dozens of animals leaped out of hiding. Gin tried to grab her, but Aya fluttered off her shoulder and screeched in his face. The wolves surged forward and surrounded Rayanne, who turned and fled out a side door while the other shape shifters distracted everyone. Rayanne had been surprised to see a few snakes and cheetahs in the group.

As they ran along the halls, wolves started to split off from the group, heading in different directions to act as decoys. When only seven were left, Rayanne said, "Go ahead and run. I have another way out. I'll find you outside."

The wolves growled or yipped assent, then split into two groups and ran off. Rayanne watched them go, then started running herself. Following old reiatsu traces, Rayanne moved along the halls, peering around corners so she didn't run into any arrancars. When she stepped around one, however, someone dragged her back. Rayanne yelped in shock when she fell against someone, and a hand covered her mouth before she could cry out again.

"I have apparently been far too lenient with you," Aizen said softly.

Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat. She started to struggle, but he released her wrist in favor of wrapping an arm around her waist, pinning her to him. Rayanne felt a growl rising in her throat. Aizen moved his hand from her hip to the rune, and Rayanne winced as a sharp pain shot through her chest. Immediately she went silent.

"Very good," Aizen said. "It can still be much worse. Do not fight me," he murmured in her ear.

He grasped her shoulders and turned her to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and grasped her chin, forcing her to face him. Rayanne closed her eyes when Aizen's lips met hers in a surprisingly gentle kiss. She whined softly as she felt her reiatsu weaken. She couldn't be caught again.

She wouldn't be caught again.

The second that thought entered her head, she transformed.

Aizen quickly released her, because who wants to hold on to an angry, frightened wolf? Rayanne tore off down the hall. Once she'd turned a few corners, she went back into human form.

"Damn, I'll never know how Shannon does that without even breaking her stride," Rayanne muttered as she got to her feet again.

"Cinna!" she called as she raced through the door of Aizen's rooms. She ran straight to the balcony door, flung it open, ran out and jumped.

She only fell a few feet before landing on Cinna's back. Sighing softly, Rayanne lay on the wind steed's neck, tangling her fingers in her mane. Cinna whickered happily.

"Thanks, girl. Let's go meet the others," Rayanne said.

Cinna tossed her head and soared off. Rayanne had to admit Cinna was a good flier with the way she swooped and wove through the towers and archways. When the two reached the sand dunes, Rayanne was surprised to see Shannon and a Guardian patrol, all in their true forms, standing and talking with the rescue party.

"Shannon! What are you doing here?" Rayanne asked as Cinna came to a gentle landing. "How did you get out?"

"Skill, magic and a bit of luck. Whoa!" Shannon said as Rayanne hugged her neck.

"You really do know each other," Ryukin said.

"Of course. I've been her apprentice for eight years," Rayanne said, releasing Shannon. Turning to her mentor, she asked again, "but what are you doing here? And why are you..."

"Not in disguise?" Shannon grinned. "Our people have decided to renew our old ties."

Rayanne's eyes widened. In old stories, the shape shifters of ancient times had shared a special alliance with the Guardians, which was sealed through the ruler's apprenticeship to Shannon. Like the ruler, the other shape shifters could be chosen by Guardians to train, and it wasn't uncommon for them to become friends. Of course, once the Guardians were forced to go into hiding a few thousand years ago, all that had ended and faded into legend. Rayanne, like everyone else, had dismissed the story as just that, a story, until having figured out Shannon's identity nine years ago.

"Once we managed to escape from the shadow universe, I went to speak with Ryukin. Since you were already my apprentice, the deal was pretty much already sealed," Shannon went on.

"And when I told Shannon we were sending a rescue party to Hueco Mundo, she and some of her warriors agreed to accompany us in case something went wrong," Ryukin finished.

"Whoa. You've been busy," Rayanne commented.

"Yes. Now we should get out of here before someone comes after us," Aya said, popping up behind Ryukin.

"You could take them," Rayanne said to Shannon as the group started moving. Shannon tossed her head and snorted.

"That would end well," she said, sarcasm dripping from her wounds. "Although it would be fun."


	18. The Path of Time

**Chapter 17:**

**The Path of Time**

Rayanne gazed from the castle balcony over the shape shifters' village and the forest beyond, her green and blue tie-dyed tunic and brown leggings proving to be the perfect combination for the day's fair weather. She was quite pleased she'd convinced her more fussy ministers and attendants that she didn't need to wear her crown to let people know she was back. She'd also managed to talk her personal attendants into letting her wear her brown leather boots instead of sandals, since she was hoping to go train at some point today. The two weeks since she'd escaped Las Noches had been some of the best of her life. It wasn't unusual to see Guardians in the streets now. Shannon's army had taken up residence in the forest, and many of them had taken to hanging around the little town. Friendships and mentor-student bonds had formed quickly, and the forest was thriving like nothing the shapeshifters had ever seen. Rayanne had spoken to her mentor. Apparently the Immortal had been renewing the magic in the Soul Society, and it quickly became apparent that the power was needed. It had rained for three days straight soon after Rayanne had returned home, and the forest was now teeming with life. Plants sprang from the ground virtually overnight, trees both in the orchards and the woods were bearing fruit and nuts in plenty and wild animals were more numerous than ever. All in all, life was pretty great right about now.

"Hi," came a familiar voice from behind her. Rayanne jumped and turned around.

"Hey, Eran!" she grinned. Lately Eran had begun to find reasons to skip mock battles and magic practice with the rest of the Guardians to spend time with her. Lirin, the unicorn commander and one of Eran's current teachers, never seemed to notice his persistent absence.

"Um... I was wondering if you wanted to... um, go for a walk in the forest, maybe?" Eran asked, blushing slightly.

"Sure," Rayanne smiled.

She was about to walk toward the door when Eran asked, "Why don't we just fly there?"

"I haven't gotten that far in my magic lessons yet," Rayanne answered, blushing slightly as well. "I can only hover about five feet off the ground."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Eran said, grinning sheepishly. "I forgot you're not a full-time Guardian, so you can't train as often as the other apprentices do."

"That and Shannon knows the lifestyle I lead. Most of the spells she's been teaching me up until recently have to do with either the healing arts or combat."

"What is she teaching you now?"

"Flying, as I mentioned. And detecting and reading life-energies," Rayanne said.

"Plants and animals?"

"She taught me that a few months ago. We've moved on to learning about the environments you find yourself in. Yesterday she was teaching me how you can use life energies to see past an illusion and to get a sense of your enemy's fighting ability."

"Holy cow," Eran muttered, staring at her.

"What?" Rayanne asked, suddenly self-conscious. Was she behind the rest of the trainees?

"It's... that's a seriously advanced skill. She must think very highly of you. The rest of us have been focusing on advanced combat spells and are pretty far along in our flying lessons. According to Lirin, we probably won't pick up on life energies again for another month or so."

"Oh," Rayanne said, somewhat shocked. Pushing that aside, she turned and walked back into the palace, Eran right beside her.

"Whoa," Eran said as they entered the room connected to the balcony. "Is this your room?"

"Yes," Rayanne answered, a light blush coloring her cheeks again. "This is the bedroom of the royal suite."

A forest-green carpet covered the entire floor. A rosewood canopy bed with silk sheets that matched the carpet's color lay at the center of the eastern wall. Two doors stood on opposite sides of the bed, one leading into a walk-in closet and the other to a bathroom. A black chair and a matching desk covered with papers sat at the far wall, facing a window with the curtains opened, giving a view of the palace courtyard. A completely filled bookcase sat next to the desk. But what was truly breathtaking were the walls and ceiling.

On them was painted a mural of a beautiful mountain valley. Wildflowers of every color of the rainbow and every color and shade in between were depicted in an open meadow. The forest beyond the meadow was lush and green, in a full spring bloom. A lake seemed to span across the western and part of the southern walls. An imposing mountain, painted in a striking blue, stood behind it. The ceiling looked like the mirror of a summer sky, a beautiful blue, white clouds flitting here and there.

"This is amazing," Eran breathed, running his fingers along the wall.

"Shannon used a spell to make the sky change to match the time of day," Rayanne said. She smiled. "Being queen does have its perks."

The two walked out of the room and into a blue carpeted hallway. Rayanne led the way past several more doors before opening another at the end of the hall. She and Eran stood in a high-ceilinged hallway, lit by a gigantic crystal chandelier. Several paintings hung on walls of stone. A red carpet covered the floor.

"In the past this was a sort of ballroom for the royal family when they wanted to have private get-togethers. These doors lead to the suites of other members of the royal family," Rayanne said. "They're kind of useless now since there is no royal family left to speak of, but the palace staff insists on keeping the place the same."

"Are you sure there are no other members of the royal family left? Word on the street is you may still have a brother or sister out there somewhere," Eran said. He immediately regretted speaking when Rayanne's face clouded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean...,"

"I've been consulting the archives and the palace library for information. A few weeks before Aizen took me back to Hueco Mundo, I discovered a box of old records and letters in a secret safe in the monarch's suite. They were written by King Rolian," Rayanne said.

Eran almost winced. King Rolian, the last king and Rayanne's father, had not been the kindest of kings. Or the kindest of men, for that matter.

"Apparently King Rolian had no less than five mates, the late Queen Endine and four others," Rayanne said. "There was my mother, Era, then women named Samantha, Lynn, and Freya."

"That's...," Eran was at a loss for words. Rayanne just scoffed.

"With all those mates, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he had a dozen children. Queen Endine, as you know, had two of them. A son and a daughter, Prince Ryllis and Princess Nira. The rest were all illegitimate. Samantha had four children, Lynn just one, Freya two, and my mother three. Me, my sister Misha and my brother Rei. Freya's two were a boy and a girl, Ayame and Jessie. Samantha's children were Alamos, Ryan, Corwin and Primrose."

"Wait," Eran said, bringing Rayanne's story to a halt. "I thought Queen Endine had three children. Princess Nira, Prince Ryllis and...,"

"Prince Lucian?" Rayanne asked, smiling grimly. "Lucian was Lynn's child, her only son. From what I could gather from Rolian's notes, she nearly died giving birth to him, and it was clear she would be able to bear no more children afterward."

Eran lapsed into silence for a few moments. Then, "I can't imagine how hard that must have been. Did you all live... in the palace?"

Rayanne snorted. "We were the king's illegitimate children. He hardly wanted anything to do with us. Queen Endine, once she found out..."

"Did she try to have you killed?" Eran said. "From what I've seen of most royals, that's my best guess."

Rayanne smiled. "No. One day a letter arrived at our house. To our mother's surprise, it was a summons from the queen. She had invited every single one of Rolian's mates and all their children to the palace. We all went. How could we have refused? To our surprise, the queen wasn't angry. If she was upset, which she must have been, she hid it well. She even apologized to Era, Freya, Lynn and Samantha for her husband's treatment of them." Rayanne paused, then sighed. "She was just as much a mother to me as my birth mother. As they all were. From that point on, we kept visiting the palace. The queen loved all of us, as if we were all her own children. Queen Endine was one of the kindest people I have ever known, nothing like her husband."

"I'll bet. From what I heard, Rolian was a plotting, twisted, selfish sneak. No good at all."

Rayanne's smile gained a darker look again. "Yes. He was certainly no good. When he visited my mother... it took him years to figure out we were visiting the palace... he had a tendency to go into fits of rage. He'd hit her or he'd beat one of us kids, whoever was unfortunate enough to cross his path first. I remember my little sister and I would try to protect each other. One time I shifted and nearly bit his hand off. The next time he saw me he beat me until I lost consciousness."

Rayanne paused to gather herself. She looked over at Eran. He seemed to be at war with himself, teetering somewhere between sympathy and rage.

"He was upset, and not just because he'd almost lost his hand. Royal blood is supposed to be dominant, and kings and queens were always serpents or lizards. He couldn't stand the fact that three of his children were wolves. My mother let him know exactly how she felt about that line of thinking when she saw him standing over me. Misha told me later that Era was terrified he'd killed me, I looked so terrible. She broke a glass vase over his head, punched him in the face and kicked him in the gut, screaming at him the whole time. Then she threw him out the living room window and nearly killed him. I was sorry I missed it."

"So am I. Your mother was a brave woman."

"Yes. She was. Anyway, one day we met Lynn in the market. She told us Rolian had begun taking an interest in Lucian. He'd been spending time with him, occasionally taking him to the palace to spend a night or two. Our mother thought it was odd. A month later, Lynn was dead. The doctor said it was heart failure. Only later did I figure out that it was poison." The last sentence was so quiet Eran hardly heard.

"You?"

"One by one, Rolian's children began to disappear. Lucian went to live in the palace. We learned soon enough that Rolian had been spreading the rumor that Lucian was Endine's son, whom he'd sent to live on the peripheries of the kingdom because Endine was too sick to raise three children. Which was true. Queen Endine's health had been declining slowly for nearly five years at that point. I suspect Rolian was poisoning her. When she died, her third child died with her. A week later, Princess Nira was found dead in the forest at the foot of a cliff. Nobody knew whether she fell or if she was pushed. Prince Ryllis drowned soon afterward."

"Our mother began to get scared. She prepared to move when she heard that Freya, Ayame, Jessie and the four of us were all that remained of Rolian's little ragtag family. Samantha and all four of her children had been found dead in the forest. People said that wild wolves got them. We never believed that. When word reached our mother that Freya and her family were dead... poisonous mushrooms in their soup, an innocent mistake, apparently... Era told us we were leaving in the morning. That night we learned exactly what was going on."

"Lucian, Rolian's favored, had been methodically slaughtering all rivals to his rise to power. He killed my mother, sister and baby brother right in front of me."

"Why you?" Eran asked.

"He and I... never really got along. He wanted to make sure I knew pain before I died."

"So he killed your family right in front of you, knowing there was nothing you could do."

"That wasn't all," Rayanne said. "He wanted to torture me. He chained me to the wall and stuck a knife in my chest. I shifted and killed him."

Rayanne's gaze was distant, as though she was looking at something only she could see. "Shannon found me there. Huddled in a corner, covered in blood, crying and shaking so hard I couldn't stand. I was scared of her... she was in her warrior form. The leather armor, the boots, the sword, all of it scared me. But when I looked at her face... into her eyes... I wasn't afraid. I was still sad, but I wasn't afraid."

Eran smiled. "She does have that effect on people sometimes. What did she do?"

"She spoke to me to calm me down. Then she took me in her arms and I fell asleep. I woke up in the Rukongai, in the house of a woman named Azalea."

"Azalea?" Eran asked.

"You know her?"

"I know of her. She's a friend of Shannon's. She's really old, even for a soul in the Soul Society."

"Well, Shannon left me with her. Azalea was kind and patient. She fed me, gave me clothes and tried to convince me to talk. She sang to me when I had nightmares, which was often. Then, one night, I heard a different voice singing. I looked to the side of my bed and saw the same girl with golden-brown hair who had saved me that night. Her voice was like nothing I had ever heard. Azalea's was pretty, but Shannon was in a completely different league. I felt instantly calm, warm and safe, like nothing in the world could happen to me while I was here, in this house, with this kind woman and this strange girl."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Eran said, smiling, face gaining a thoughtful, distant look. "Hearing a Guardian sing for the first time is an incredible experience. People have felt hope, love, and safety. Shannon is like that, except more so. Her songs are full of life, and when that energy reaches you, fills you, there's no feeling like it in the entire universe."

"I suppose," Rayanne said. "The next morning she introduced herself as Cara. That same day she started to train me. She taught me a few basic forms in hand-to-hand combat, and that afternoon Azalea began to teach me herbal lore. After two weeks, I began speaking again."

"How old were you?" Eran asked quietly.

"Nine," Rayanne answered.

Eran was speechless. She had experienced that much pain in only nine years. An abusive father, who clearly harbored no love for his family legitimate or otherwise, undoubtedly unable to tell people who her father really was because of her heritage. Her mother, trying to protect her children as best she could. Eran knew that none of Rolian's mates would have been able to put up a fight because if they had, Rolian had the power to have either them or their children put to death. Then seeing her own half-brother tear everything from her in a single night, killing the last of those who had ever loved her, must have been a devastating blow. From the time she had killed Lucian to the time Shannon found her, Rayanne had been alone. Unloved, unwanted by anyone, it was a wonder she wasn't still mute. The scars of Rayanne's childhood would never leave her, no matter how long she lived.

Eran, before he realized what he was doing, gently grasped Rayanne's hand. She turned to face him, surprised when he pulled her forward. She allowed her head to rest against his chest as his arms wrapped around her. Rayanne's arms encircled his waist. The two gazed up at each other and smiled.

"Rayanne!" The loud, urgent screech interrupted the peaceful moment.

Rayanne and Eran quickly released each other. "Aya?" Rayanne called. The blackbird flew into the room like a falcon was on her tail.

"Rayanne, there's a group of soul reapers here demanding to see you. They won't talk to anyone else, they just keep saying 'we need to speak to your queen!'"

"Do you know them?" Rayanne asked.

"The one with red hair… oh yeah, Renji's one of them. So is Momo. They don't look too good."

"Oh, no. I'm on my way," Rayanne said.

"Should I come?" Eran asked.

"I wouldn't. All the Guardians kind of faded into the woodwork when the soul reapers showed up. I don't think they want your friends to think that our population has drastically increased since they were here last," Aya said.

"Good point. Good luck, Rayanne," Eran called as Rayanne took to her heels and ran out of the room, Aya leading the way. The two made it out of the palace in record time, probably because Rayanne jumped out of a second floor window to make the commute faster. In the town square, they were confronted with a crowd of shapeshifters surrounding a group of people wearing soul reaper shihakushos.

"Your Majesty!" Lord Bylorn the panther lord exclaimed, partially in surprise, partially to get the shapeshifters' attention. The crowd turned, caught sight of their queen and immediately cleared a path.

"Thank you," Rayanne said to no one in particular, though she nodded in Bylorn's direction slightly. Rayanne walked forward and soon found herself face to face with Renji, Momo, Rukia and Hanataro. All of them looked exhausted and all of them were bleeding.

"Rayanne! Thank goodness you're here, we need your help!" Hanataro said, looking like he was about to collapse.

"What happened?" Rayanne said, her tone saying someone had better talk quickly.

"The Seireitei is under attack," Renji said. "It's the arrancars. They drew a lot of our best fighters away by attacking a part of the Rukongai, while the rest broke into the Seireitei. We got here as quickly as we could."

"Please help," Momo pleaded. "If you don't, we're finished."

"She's right. My brother, Captain Unohana and Captain Kurotsuchi went to the Rukongai. With three captains gone, there's no way we can win," Rukia said.

Rayanne studied them for a moment. "Lord Bylorn, find Lord Ryukin and Lady Kiesha. Tell them each to gather two patrols from their houses. You do the same. I'll gather some members of the Royal Guard."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lord Bylorn said, bowing before running to do as he'd been told.

"Are any healers present?" Rayanne asked the crowd. A young woman in a light blue dress with flowing brown hair stepped forward.

"I am a healer, my lady," she said, bowing.

"Would you please take these three and treat their injuries?" Rayanne asked, gesturing to the three Soul Reapers.

"Yes, Your Highness," the woman responded. Rayanne turned and ran back to the palace. She spoke to the first soldier she came across and told him the situation, asking him to relay the message to the captain of the Guard, a tiger shapeshifter named Alden. Within a minute he was standing before her, wearing plate armor, a longsword sheathed at his side. His helmet was absent from its spot on his head, leaving his slightly messy golden hair in plain sight.

"You summoned me, my queen?" he asked after the usual formal bow.

"Yes, Captain Alden. I know you have been made aware of the situation. Please assemble a company of the Royal Guard. We will meet with Lord Ryukin, Lord Bylorn and Lady Kiesha's troops in the forest," Rayanne ordered. With a nod Alden left the room. Rayanne made her way to the armory. She selected a leather gauntlet and metal greaves, plates of metal worn to protect the veins in the ankle. She strapped on a leather chest plate and armguards, grasping a knife belt and placing it around her waist. That done, Rayanne ran up to her chambers and grabbed Kirazuki before going out into the palace courtyard to meet Captain Alden and his company.

"We are ready to go, my queen," Captain Alden said. "Will Shannon's warriors be joining us?"

"I doubt it. It is rare that they involve themselves in affairs such as this," Rayanne answered. Alden nodded. Rayanne turned to look at the soldiers. All of them stood with their legs spread apart, left hands grasping their right wrists behind their backs, the standard at rest position of the Royal Guard. Captain Alden turned toward them.

"Atten-hut!" he roared.

"Ha!" the soldiers yelled. The noise was deafening. In perfect unison, each soldier snapped to attention.

"You all know why you have been called! Look sharp, and look to your queen!" Alden yelled.

"Yes, sir!" the warriors answered in unison. They turned to Rayanne, who nodded respectfully to Alden. She looked at the soldiers and nodded to them as well, again showing her respect for their willingness to lay down their lives if their queen demanded it.

"We are going to the forest to meet up with the others' troops! You will receive further orders when we arrive! Move out!" Rayanne yelled. With that she turned and ran out of the courtyard as the gates opened. Despite their numbers, the warriors moved with little noise. The Royal Guard were the elite of the palace soldiers, their numbers less than one hundred in comparison to the two thousand in the entire army, which was made up of the Royal Guard, the palace soldiers and the soldiers of the Great Houses. The Royal Guard were the best of the best, and they knew when silence was key. Letting their animal counterparts slide forward, the patrol of roughly thirty warriors moved almost soundlessly. When they reached a dark part of the forest near the Seireitei they met up with Lords Ryukin and Bylorn and Lady Kiesha. The four soul reapers were also present, looking slightly uneasy with the large number of shapeshifters.

"Your Majesty," Ryukin greeted Rayanne as she came to stand by him. "Captain Alden," he said, giving said man a nod which was soon returned. "One of my scouts has just returned. There are roughly fifteen hollows, twenty lesser arrancar as well as four Espada. The Espada are near the center of the Seireitei, while the other arrancar are spread out over the rest of the area."

"If we can surround them and drive them toward the center, they will lose tactical advantages," Rayanne said.

"We have the element of surprise on our side," Lady Kiesha, head of the horse people said. "My patrols can take the southern and eastern parts of the wall."

"I will take my warriors to the northern and western walls," Bylorn said.

"My warriors will attack from above," Ryukin said.

"I will take my warriors through the streets once you breach the walls and see if we can eliminate some of the more powerful arrancar," Alden said.

"Sounds like a plan," Rayanne said. "I will accompany Alden. Feel the wind surround you."

"Breathe deeply. Be free," the rest of the shapeshifters whispered the words of the ancient battle chant. They melted away into the trees, leaving Rayanne and Alden standing with the soul reapers.

"What should we do?" Hanataro asked hesitantly.

"Come with us," Rayanne said, turning and walking into the trees. Once they entered the underbrush, the soul reapers glanced around. Rayanne had to suppress a smile. She knew Alden and the others were nearby, but her soul reaper friends didn't have the heightened senses of a shapeshifter. They waited, one minute, then two, then three. The scent of smoke, blood, fear, exhilaration and several other things reached the trees, drifting on the wind from the direction of the Seireitei.

"What are we doing?" Momo whispered in Rayanne's ear.

"Waiting for a signal," Rayanne answered.

There was an earsplitting screech from above.

"That's the signal," Rayanne said. As one unit, the shapeshifters surged forward. Animals of all kinds scaled the wall in less than two minutes. Once Rayanne was inside, she returned to human form and ran, heading for the center of the Seireitei. She had barely passed three streets when one of the hollows crossed her path. It was dead in less than five seconds. Rayanne continued her progress. She could hear the surprised cries of the hollows and arrancars as the shapeshifters attacked, and occasionally she caught glimpses of the Royal Guard as they moved through the streets, looking for enemies or wounded soul reapers. Suddenly Rayanne heard a loud cry. She froze and allowed her senses to expand. Captain Alden and a warrior of the Guard had come into contact with an adjucha, and it seemed to be giving them trouble. The shapeshifters were trying to avoid using magic because they didn't want to let anyone, soul reaper or arrancar, know their true power. Rayanne leaped up and began running along the rooftops, heading toward Alden. She saw him and a female cougar shapeshifter fighting an adjucha on top of Sokyoku Hill. Rayanne quickly leaped into the air and was soon standing near the line of dead trees. She took a step forward and was brought to a halt when Nnoitora appeared before her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Aizen's little pet," the Espada said, grinning broadly.

"Excuse me?" Rayanne said in a slightly bored tone. She drew her zanpakuto from the sheath and prepared to meet Nnoitora's attack. Both would-be combatants froze when Ulquiorra appeared between them.

"What are you doing, Nnoitora?" Ulquiorra asked. Nnoitora glared at him but said nothing.

"Lord Aizen wants the girl alive and unharmed. We were not ordered to attack her," Ulquiorra said.

What the…? Rayanne thought. Then it clicked. It's a trap, she realized. Aizen knew that captains would be sent to deal with the arrancar he sent to attack the Rukongai. With those captains gone, the Seireitei's forces would be considerably weakened, and with such a strong attack force, he knew that eventually someone would ask my people for help. Damn!

Rayanne sensed Grimmjow coming. Before he could grab her, she turned and swung her blade. It caught the Sexta Espada by surprise and cut cleanly across his chest. Without pausing Rayanne dropped into a crouch and kicked Ulquiorra's feet out from under him. The shapeshifter leaped for Nnoitora, transforming in the blink of an eye. Nnoitora had no time to adjust his attack to account for his opponent's new shape. Rayanne's jaws fastened around his throat and she bit down. She tasted blood in her mouth before she was knocked to the side. The wolf rolled before Ulquiorra reached her, then she leaped and attacked again, scratching the Quarto Espada's chest and biting down on his shoulder. Ulquiorra pushed her off and Grimmjow grabbed the scruff of her neck. With a furious snarl Rayanne turned and bit Grimmjow's arm, clawing at his shoulder. Suddenly she released him, a growl catching in her throat as a stabbing pain pervaded her chest. Coughing, the wolf staggered a few steps before catching herself. Her lips lifted in a snarl as she looked at the new enemy on the battlefield.

"Not one for cooperating, are you?" Aizen asked, smiling as he walked forward. Rayanne pinned her ears back and dug her claws into the dirt. Suddenly there came a furious roar from the direction of the execution site. Captain Alden and the cougar had killed the adjucha and had heard Rayanne's struggle. They had seen immediately who had attacked her, knew she was sorely outmatched and were currently running to her aid. Rayanne knew that even with these two helping, they couldn't win. Not if the two attacked with a frontal assault, anyway.

Rayanne barked. Startled, the two great cats slid to a halt. Alden growled a question to his queen. Rayanne yipped a reply. The cougar moved forward slightly. Rayanne growled. The cougar lowered its ears slightly and stopped. Aizen watched the display with interest.

"Those two are certainly loyal to you," he said, returning his attention to the wolf. "Can you understand me?"

Rayanne growled in response and lifted her chin. Aizen smiled at the display of defiance. He knew she understood perfectly.

"Tell them to leave and change back. If you do not resist, I will call off my forces. No more blood will be spilled," Aizen said.

Rayanne's snarl faded as she considered his words. Behind Aizen, the tiger and cougar moved simultaneously into the hunter's crouch.

"My lord," Ulquiorra warned. Aizen glanced over his shoulder. The two great cats snarled at him, furious with him for threatening their queen. Suddenly a loud whinny pierced the air. Lady Kiesha, in the form of a beautiful chestnut mare, galloped onto the hill. Behind her came a red fox and an African wild dog. They stopped dead when they beheld the sight before them. Kiesha snorted in fury, lowered her head, pinned her ears against her head and pawed the ground with her hoof. The fox and dog growled and clawed the ground. Aizen looked back at Rayanne.

"Call them off and return to human form. Now," he commanded softly.

Rayanne stayed still as stone for a few seconds. Then her tail drooped. She lowered her head and the change rippled through her. Shaking slightly from a combination of nerves and fatigue, she stood, glaring at Aizen with as much anger as she could muster. She barked, the sound startling coming from a human form. The other shapeshifters lost their hostile stances, but their facial cues betrayed their anger. Aizen looked at Rayanne questioningly.

"They will not leave, and I cannot make them," she said softly. "They are torn between loyalty to me and their desire to see me safe. I do not demand faultless obedience from my people, and I will not begin now."

Grimmjow and Nnoitora, who had been watching the animals warily, turned to her and studied her as though she were a particularly puzzling piece of artwork. Ulquiorra was apathetic as ever, and Aizen's expression was difficult to read. Suddenly a loud screech pierced the air. The transformed shapeshifters yelped, whinnied or snarled in fright. Rayanne tensed. The sound was familiar to them all. It was the warning cry of a griffin Guardian. Something was wrong, and the Guardians were telling the shapeshifters to get out of the Seireitei as quickly as they could.

"Go! Now!" Rayanne yelled in the Common Tongue of the animals. They looked at her, pained expressions on their faces.

"Go!" Rayanne said. "Don't worry about me! Get out of here!"

Suddenly they all sensed something. A familiar presence, one that gave them hope and a feeling of strength. The transformed shapeshifters ran off the hill, leaving Rayanne and her captors alone.

"That was seriously scary," Grimmjow muttered. Nnoitora looked inclined to agree.

"What did you say to them?" Aizen asked Rayanne, who shrugged.

"Nothing important," she answered, tone making it clear she wouldn't say anything more. The next thing she felt was the wind rushing through her hair. The world sped by in a blur, and when it finally halted Rayanne was more than a little dizzy. She tried to stand, but her legs gave way beneath her. She was held up only by Shannon's firm grip on her shirt collar. When Rayanne finally managed to stand, the white unicorn spat the cloth out of her mouth.

"Ugh! Hollow blood!" Shannon said, spitting again and shaking her head.

"Hello to you, too," Rayanne said, grinning. "What happened?"

"Nothing big," Shannon answered. "Ladin figured out we were staying here, so he sent an attack force. You might want to hop on, we don't want him knowing what world you and your people live in."

Needing no encouragement, Rayanne clambered onto her mentor's back. The second her apprentice was settled, Shannon galloped quickly toward the forest, knowing they needed to get under cover before any flying shadow creatures arrived.

**Whoo, that was a long chapter! Sorry it took so long to update, but between writer's block and schoolwork (I have a fricking math test coming up!), I haven't had much time to write. I hope to be able to update sooner next time. See yas!**


	19. Wildflower Meadows

**Chapter 18:**

**Wildflower Meadows**

Rayanne strolled through the market a week after the attack on the Seireitei. Word had spread like wildfire through the shapeshifters' small town that the attack had been a trap for their queen. Captain Alden had had two members of the Royal Guard accompany Rayanne when she returned to the Seireitei the day after the attack to see how the repairs were going. He'd begun arrangements for a permanent escort until Shannon had pointed out that the arrancars didn't know the location of the shapeshifters' village. She and her commanders had put their heads together and come up with a solution. Since Aizen would undoubtedly try to learn the location of the village by tracing reiatsu signatures, the usual method of gaining intelligence in both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, if a searching energy was detected, the reiatsu of the shapeshifters would be masked wherever they went. There was no concern of a resident of the Rukongai stumbling into the village by accident or of the arrancars finding it via a search party. The village was roughly eleven miles from the edge of the Rukongai and was protected by the revitalized forest. Thick undergrowth and distraction spells set by the Guardians ensured that only people who already knew the way would find the village.

"Rayanne! Hey, Rayanne!" came a familiar voice. Rayanne turned her head toward one of the stalls.

"Hi, Aya," she smiled as the blackbird jumped over the counter and ran over. Aya's father and mother were both blacksmiths, and after spending a few weeks with a Guardian dragon named Dawn, Aya's mother had learned how to make pendants and other jewelry. The family had opened up a second stall in the market, which was becoming increasingly popular.

"How are you?" Aya asked, hugging Rayanne. In human form, Aya was small and light like her animal counterpart. Her black hair was neatly clipped at shoulder length, and today she wore a forest green shirt and brown breeches with black leather boots.

"As well as can be expected," Rayanne answered.

"What? Is this about the trap?" Aya asked.

"Sort of, I guess."

"Come on! Aizen's not gonna get you again! You have the Royal Guard, and the Guardians are here!"

"Well, yeah, as long as I don't wander too far from the village, I'm fine," Rayanne said.

"You can go anywhere you want! You can take 'em," Aya responded, pushing Rayanne's shoulder playfully.

"Aya, if I had been alone last time, he would have gotten me," Rayanne said, lowering her voice a bit.

"No, he wouldn't have. You're smart, you would have gotten away," Aya said.

"That's what Shannon told me yesterday," Rayanne grinned a bit.

"See? She's an Immortal, she knows better than anyone!" Aya exclaimed.

"I know, but the thought of being dragged back to Hueco Mundo is not very appealing. It has a way of gripping the mind," Rayanne answered. Aya grimaced slightly. Hueco Mundo was a virtually dead world. It was torturous to shapeshifters to have to spend a long time there. Their animal halves could become unbelievably difficult to control, and Rayanne knew that her Guardian blood had been the only thing keeping her from losing it. Suddenly Aya lifted her head.

"What's that smell?" she asked.

"Which one?" Rayanne asked, grinning. Dozens of scents floated through the air of the market. Meat of all sorts, both roasted and smoked, baking bread, freshly caught fish, spices, flowers, baking pastries and other sweets.

"That really sweet one, like butter and sugar and something..." Aya said, closing her eyes.

Rayanne grinned. "Kuro's baking madeleines with his mother today. I passed their stall earlier." She knew Kuro was Aya's crush. Rumor in the castle's servant's quarters was that the feeling was returned, but Aya didn't know that. And as far as Rayanne knew, the bright, bouncy green-eyed boy didn't know of Aya's feelings for him, either.

"Actually, I was planning on heading back that way. I want to pick up some dried cinnamon apples for Shannon," Rayanne went on. Lately the white unicorn had developed a fondness for dried apple rings sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, and Rayanne had decided to get some for her as a sort of thank you gift for getting her out of a tight spot.

"She likes those things?" Aya asked.

"I do too," Rayanne smiled.

"Does Wolf?"

"Hello! There's sugar on them and she has a major league sweet tooth."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot she'll even eat caramelized carrots. Do you think she'd eat broccoli if I dipped it in caramel sauce?" Aya asked, grinning.

Rayanne gave her a look. "You tried that last year. That was the grossest thing I have ever tasted, aside from those caramelized Brussels sprouts you slipped into that salad."

"Huh?" Aya said, looking genuinely confused. The two jumped when someone laughed behind them.

"Actually, that was me," Shannon said. The two shapeshifters turned to face the blue eyed Immortal, who tossed her head slightly as a greeting.

"You?" Rayanne asked. Shannon grinned.

"Yeah. She did the same thing to Gryphon and me," an amber eyed griffin Rayanne recognized as Sunfire said, popping up behind Shannon.

"You put brambles in my bed. What did you expect?" Shannon asked, glancing back at him.

"A practical joke in retaliation, like honey in our feathers or something! Caramelized Brussels sprouts are cruel and unusual punishment!" Sunfire complained.

"Actually, I couldn't believe you fell for it. I didn't even use that powerful an illusion," Shannon mused. Suddenly she raised her head and pricked her ears, looking toward the forest. A moment later Sunfire stiffened and did the same.

"Something's coming," Shannon said. "A lot of somethings."

"What?" Rayanne said. A shout drew her attention further down the market lane.

"Your Highness!" Captain Alden called. Startled, the other shapeshifters cleared a path for him.

"Your majesty," Alden said to Rayanne once he reached her. "The lookouts have just reported that the rebel army is moving through the forest. They'll be here by sundown."

xxXXxx

"By sundown? How the hell did they get that close without being seen?" Rayanne asked no one in particular as she and Alden walked quickly through the palace's main gate.

"My lookouts told me they believed a spell had been used," Alden said. Rayanne halted abruptly. Startled, Alden nearly crashed into her.

"What is it, my lady?" Alden asked after a moment's pause.

"Ayamoshi attacked me in Hueco Mundo. There was a mark on his neck," Rayanne said, half to herself.

"What was it?" Alden asked.

Rayanne was silent for a few moments, then she shook her head. "It wasn't one I recognized, but it was a dark one. The wound was black, and the veins around it looked like poison was seeping through them. The wizard, mage or whatever created it was powerful, strong enough to destroy him with little effort."

Alden frowned. "It may not come to this... but do you think you can fight him?"

"I beat him once. I can do it again," Rayanne answered. She glanced back at her captain. "And am I correct in assuming that by fight you mean kill?"

Alden pursed his lips and smiled grimly. "Nothing gets past you."

"I've killed to defend myself before," Rayanne said. "I am perfectly capable of killing again to protect my people."

xxXXxx

Less than an hour before sunset, Rayanne was standing on the castle battlements, just behind four rows of soldiers from the castle guard. The archers and main guard, the front two rows, wore steel chest guards, pauldrons, arm and leg plates and greaves. A flight of castle soldiers ( a regiment of avian warriors) made up the third and fourth rows. They carried spears and wore full-body suits of chain mail, which was lighter than standard armor but just as effective at deterring blows from blades, arrows and spears. The chain mail made it easier for the avians to shift to their animal forms should they decide to attack the enemy by throwing their spears from directly above. Behind them was Rayanne, who was surrounded by four members of the Royal Guard. Rayanne had protested this of course, but Captain Alden had refused to back down. She had no heir, he'd pointed out. Nobody wanted her dead. Rayanne had responded by saying that she'd appointed Lord Ryukin as regent, and he would do a remarkable job ruling in her stead. She made the mistake of saying that while aforementioned lord was in the room, speaking with the commander of his House's Guard. He had thanked her for her compliment, then said that with her death the royal bloodline would be broken, since as far as anyone knew there was no living member of the royal family aside from her. Granted she was a wolf, but she was still descended from the original line of monarchs. Her ability to turn into a dragon was proof of that.

"Besides," Ryukin had added, "I very much doubt that Shannon would take an old man like me as an apprentice." Physically Ryukin was 37 years old, though in actuality he was closer to 500.

"How old are you, really?" a castle page had asked.

"518 years old," Ryukin answered.

"Then don't go calling yourself old around me," Shannon had said, startling everyone else in the room when she popped out from behind a pillar.

"Well, compared to you, none of us have a right to talk," Rayanne pointed out.

"You do. I'll just tell you you don't," Shannon answered before trotting off, presumably to join her warriors in the forest.

Rayanne was jolted out of her memories when Captain Alden approached her and her escort.

"How long do you think the wall will delay them, Your Highness?" he asked. The Guardians had constructed a wooden wall around the village before heading into the forest. They'd used a spell to strip the trees of their bark, so it would be difficult to climb and impossible to burn until the sap dried.

"It's difficult to say," Rayanne said, studying the wall from her current post. "Did your soldiers manage to get everyone who wasn't able to fight into the Keep?"

"Yes," Alden answered. He smiled. "I must admit, my queen, I have never seen such loyalty in our people. Several retired guardsmen wanted to come and fight for you. Even some of the youngsters volunteered to take up arms. Many of the little ones admire you greatly."

"Well, after my father's rule, the people are almost bound to like the next monarch," Rayanne responded dryly.

"Don't shortchange yourself," one of her guards said. He bowed shortly. "Forgive my speaking out of turn, Your Highness, but you give us more freedom than any rulers have in a long while, if the records in the palace archives are anything to go by. You explain your actions to us. You allow for more debate in the Great Houses and rarely pass a law without approval from the people. You are able to see how a law may be unpopular at present, but can see the benefits it will have in the future. The law you passed enabling those under the control of a harsh or ineffective lord to beseech you to remove that lord from office is one that shocked everyone."

One of the other guards snorted. "It also got quite a few nobles to clean up their act right quick."

"That was the idea," Rayanne grinned.

"I must thank you for that, Your Majesty," the fourth guard, a woman, said. "Lord Kinero was getting to be quite tiresome. We lions all owe you a debt of gratitude."

Rayanne smiled. "That is my duty, isn't it? To see to it that my people may thrive in every way they can?"

"Your father certainly didn't see it that way," the second guard who had spoken muttered.

"So it's my job to fix what he broke and improve the things he ignored," Rayanne said.

"We all thank you for your consideration, my lady," the lioness guard said. "I am pleased to serve a queen who puts her people before herself."

Rayanne smiled and looked at her. "And I am pleased that you deem me deserving of your loyalty, Miss…?"

"Amane, Your Majesty," the guardswoman said, bowing her head slightly. "Mikera Amane."

All conversation ceased when a howl sounded in the distance. Rayanne and everyone else on the battlements instantly jolted to attention.

"That was the lookout. They're within a mile of the village now," the whisper passed through the ranks of warriors. A few began casting anxious glances toward the edge of the woods. Others raised their heads, smelling or tasting the air.

"There's no breeze, but I can smell the faintest hint of smoke," Alden said quietly to Rayanne.

"They're undoubtedly carrying torches," Rayanne muttered back. Wolf and Dragon were going nuts inside her, making her even tenser than usual. She could tell some others were restraining their animal halves as well, due to some pained and sickened expressions.

Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the western edge of the village, just past the wall. The light of torches became visible through the trees. All whispers ceased. The village was as quiet as a graveyard. Then a sound became audible… the sound of marching, many marching feet. The scent of smoke became stronger as the first of the rebel army emerged from the trees. All around her, Rayanne felt her soldiers' tension rise, both in preparation and in fear.

Then the fear disappeared. The rebel army was breaking apart. They hadn't been marching in ranks in the first place, but now they were scattering. The ones who had been behind the front lines were surging forward, screaming and yelling, apparently trying to get away from something. Rayanne and the soldiers on the battlements leaned forward slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of their allies. Seeing a motion out of the corner of her eye, Rayanne looked toward one of the watchtowers at the edge of the village. The lookouts were waving their arms and laughing. When they noticed Rayanne looking, they smiled and mouthed something. Rayanne grinned.

"What is it?" Alden asked.

"It seems the Guardians decided to give us a little help after all," Rayanne said. The soldiers around her perked up at the news, pleased with the prospect of help from their more powerful allies.

Unfortunately their relief was short lived. The Guardians, if indeed they'd attacked personally, didn't show themselves. They heard the _twang_ of bow strings as the rebel archers fired at the guards and lookouts on the wall and the watchtowers. Screams, yells and shrieks echoed off the walls of empty houses and shops, finding their way up to the soldiers on the battlements.

"I know you want to be out there, my queen," Alden murmured to Rayanne when he noticed her anxious look and fidgets. "But Lord Ryukin is right. We cannot risk losing you."

Rayanne just nodded once in acknowledgement to his remark. Alden, unfortunately, noticed her lack of attention.

"Your Majesty, please promise me you will do nothing rash tonight," Alden said.

Rayanne almost nodded again, then had to keep her mouth from dropping open when she realized just what he'd said. She glanced over at him and noticed the sincerity in his eyes. Sighing, she nodded. "You have my word."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Alden said, bowing. "If you'll excuse me," he said, putting on his helmet, "I must go see to it that our strikers are positioned." With that, he moved quickly across the battlements to the stairway and was gone.

Soon after Alden left, a shout came from one of the watch towers. Rayanne and several others quickly glanced toward the source of the noise and saw a guard gesturing frantically toward the sky. Immediately everyone on the battlements looked skyward.

"Huh," Rayanne said, stunned. "Apparently they have a winged regiment themselves."

They'd been expecting this, of course, but just not _this many_. There must have been at least eighty avian shapeshifters flying toward them, some holding bows, others holding spears.

"What do we do, Your Majesty?" the regiment commander asked her.

Rayanne glanced around the rooftops. Seeing nothing, she faced the commander.

"Is anyone in this regiment training under a Guardian?"

Immediately twenty-six soldiers raised their hands. Rayanne surveyed them quickly. "Have any of you hit elemental magic yet?" She knew that after a little bit of combat training, the Guardians would teach their pupils the magic of the four basic elements, one of the easiest forms of magic.

Five hands went down.

"How many of you have a decent hand on directing wind?" Rayanne asked. Two more hands went down.

"Okay, and who's started water?"

All but seven people lowered their hands.

"Has anyone started with earth?"

Only one hand was still up. Rayanne studied that soldier, a young man with gray eyes. "Do you think you can lift something as large as a boulder?"

"I don't think so, Your Highness," he said. "I just finished working with water a couple weeks ago."

"No worries, we can work with that," Rayanne said. "All right, here's what we'll do. Everyone who can use wind, _only_ wind, step to the front. If you can control water, step to the side. Do your best to create clouds. Wind people, your job is to direct those clouds at the enemy. And you," she said, turning to the gray-eyed man. "What's your name?"

"Jakkin, my queen."

"Jakkin, lift some dirt and pebbles off the roads and direct it toward our enemies. The less visibility they have, the better," Rayanne said. "If we can create a strong enough gust to blow them completely away, that would be fantastic."

Immediately everyone began to work to reassemble themselves according to Rayanne's instructions. The wind users created a line two rows deep right in front of the battlements. The people who could use water stood off to the sides. Jakkin came to stand with Rayanne on what used to be the platform for the flagpole. As though reading each other's minds, the wind users raised their arms. A slight breeze blew over the battlements, getting steadily stronger. Some wind users closed their eyes while others made small circling motions with their hands or arms. The water users stared ahead, then raised their arms as well. Nothing happened at first, then a small mist began to gather around them. When it became thick enough, they nodded to the wind users. Rayanne and Jakkin helped direct the cloud of mist into the gust the wind users were creating, and it was almost immediately swept toward their enemies. A few grins and muffled exclamations moved through the ranks when they heard shrieks of surprise emanating from the clouds. The wind users began gesturing more frantically, creating several wild winds. Jakkin and Rayanne used their earth power to lift dust and large pebbles and rocks from the roads beneath, then flinging them into the mist. Surprised shrieks came again, and the soldiers cheered when a few birds fell from the mist. A crash from the gates silenced those cheers. The other rebels had broken through the gates. With shouts of triumph, they surged forward, running through the village and heading straight for the castle.

"Aren't they the least bit suspicious that there was no guard behind the gates?" Rayanne mused, watching as the figures swarmed ever closer.

"Apparently not," Mikera said.

_Just a little closer,_ Rayanne thought. _Closer… Closer…_

"ATTACK!" she howled. Immediately hundreds of soldiers and castle guards leaped out of hiding. Archers appeared seemingly out of nowhere on the rooftops. The rebels were taken completely off guard. The avian flight on the battlements transformed in unison, taking flight and heading for the ones still trapped in the mist. Others burst forth from the houses, heading like arrows toward their targets.

But the advantage of surprise wore off more quickly than Rayanne would have liked. The rebels still had the advantage of numbers, and soon some of them were able to push past the main attack force and enter the castle. Several avians landed on the battlements, reverting to their human forms. Rayanne and the rest of the soldiers leaped to meet them. The sound of clashing swords rang through the forest.

It was utter chaos. The roads in and around the village had turned into a writhing mass of fighting bodies, both human and animal. Howls, roars, shrieks and screams filled the air, along with the scent of smoke, fear, sweat and blood. Windows were smashed and a few houses were burning. Rayanne leaped to Jakkin's aid despite a wrenched shoulder, helping him fight off a trio of jackal shifters. Kicking one off the battlements, she turned and saw one of them run off, the other one limping after it, holding up a broken forepaw. Jakkin turned to her. A small cut on his forehead dripped blood into his eyes. He was bleeding heavily from a wound on his left side, where a sword had pierced his armor.

"Your Majesty, we can't go on like this," Jakkin said, surveying the battleground below him. "Do you think we could send someone to the Seireitei for help?"

"Maybe," Rayanne said. She noted the spells being cast by both sides. "But that might not be such a good idea. We're… wait a minute, the _rebels_ are using magic?"

"What?" Jakkin said, peering down. "You're right! How'd they learn that?"

A laugh made them jerk their heads around. A figure stood in the shadows of the trees surrounding the castle. Rayanne's breath caught at the shock of dark black hair, the sharp green eyes, the pale skin that came into focus as Ayamoshi stepped forward. He smiled at her, showing fangs.

"It's good to see you again, _my queen_," he sneered. His eyes flashed yellow as he waved his arm. Rayanne felt the rush of dark power and leaped to push Jakkin aside, but she was too slow. He was flung sideways, hitting the stone wall with a sickening crack. He dropped to the ground and lay still.

"No…," Rayanne said, then she cried out as Ayamoshi leaped forward with startling speed, grabbing her collar and hoisting her into the air. With a snarl he turned and flung her off the battlements and into the trees with surprising force. Rayanne quickly covered her face. She cried out occasionally when she hit a large branch that jostled her and slowed her fall. She hit the ground hard, hearing a pop and realizing it was the sound of one of her ribs cracking. With a small groan, she sat up. Luckily her arms weren't broken. She heard a thud nearby and quickly turned her head in that direction, but roots sprang from the ground and wrapped around her neck. She emitted a shocked cry, which was cut off as the roots' hold tightened.

"Well, now, should I just let you die like this?" Ayamoshi asked, kneeling next to her. Rayanne snarled and tried to lunge at him, but more roots wrapped around her wrists, keeping her down. She hissed quietly as they tightened on a strained muscle in her right wrist. The wolf shapeshifter did her best not to struggle, as it would only worsen her injuries. Instead she attempted to kick her enemy, but her ankles were soon restrained as well.

"Damn you, what the hell do you want?" Rayanne snapped, panting.

Ayamoshi tsked. "Quite the wild one," he said, gently caressing her neck. The roots loosened their hold a bit, enabling their captive to breathe easier. "To answer your question, I want you dead."

_No flippin' duh,_ Rayanne thought.

"If I let you kill me, will you call off the attack?" Rayanne asked. "Will you care for my wounded, too? Will no more blood be spilled?"

Ayamoshi looked genuinely surprised. Then his eyes narrowed. "I suppose I might," he said, fingers trailing from her neck down to her heart. "But it's not that simple."

Despite her situation, Rayanne sighed in annoyance. "You want the throne?"

Ayamoshi glared at her. "No. What kind of creature do you take me for?"

"Then why do you want me dead?" Rayanne said, utterly confused. Wasn't that the whole reason behind this attack?

"Because of my family!" Ayamoshi roared, striking her across the face. That was too much for Wolf and Dragon to bear. With an inhuman growl, Rayanne tore free of the roots. She grabbed a throwing knife from her belt and slashed at Ayamoshi with it. It glanced off his chest armor but cut neatly across his left arm. He leaped back, drawing his sword, managing to cut her right leg. The two combatants stood glaring at each other for a few moments. Then they leaped, Rayanne drawing her sword as well.

"What do you mean your family?" Rayanne asked, blocking a particularly rough strike. She was shocked when Ayamoshi glared at her in absolute hatred.

"Don't play innocent!" he bellowed. Rayanne leaped aside, barely avoiding a ball of black fire. She used a light shield to block a similar attack, then surged forward and whacked her enemy's head with the flat of her sword, stunning him. He stumbled backward, blood flowing from the new wound.

"What do you mean don't play innocent?" Rayanne panted. "I have no idea what you're talking about, I swear it!"

Again he glared at her, and again she was shocked by the hatred, the malice in his gaze.

"Don't pretend you don't know! You killed them! Every last one of them, murdered in cold blood!" Ayamoshi roared.

Rayanne gaped. "What?" she said. "Why would I kill your family?"

"You wanted no obstacles, no rivals! Just an easy rise to power, not having to prove yourself to anyone. You could talk to dragons, as the previous monarchs could. You had no royal blood. So what? With no heirs, it would hardly matter!"

"What?" Rayanne said, eyes getting wider by the second. Except for the part about no royal blood, this story was sounding eerily familiar…

"You killed them, and the others," Ayamoshi said. "And then when my brother went to confront you, you killed him too!"

Everything clicked into place then.

"Oh, gods," Rayanne said, planting her sword in the dirt to keep from falling to her knees. She glanced up at her enemy. "Ayame?" she whispered.

Ayamoshi went rigid. "How do you know that name?" he hissed.

"You were Freya's son," she whispered. "He left you alive? You survived?"

"What are you talking about?" Ayamoshi said, voice shaking slightly.

"Don't you remember?" Rayanne pleaded. "We were at the creek… you pushed me in, then I jumped out and pulled you in with me."

Ayamoshi's eyes widened. "No…," he whispered, dropping to his knees. "It can't be."

He looked up at her, eyes shining. "Ray?" he whispered his old pet name for her.

"Oh, gods," Rayanne said, a few tears slipping free as she fell to her knees as well. "You're my _brother_."

"I can't believe this," Ayamoshi whispered.

Rayanne blinked agreement. "All these years… I thought you were dead. I thought I was the only one who survived."

"You're my _sister_," Ayamoshi said as though just comprehending it, tears flowing freely down his face. "I never knew… I never guessed. I should have. They never found your body."

A tiny sob escaped Rayanne, who buried her face in her hands. "Unbelievable," she said.

"Then you didn't…?" Ayamoshi asked.

"I didn't kill your family," Rayanne said, letting her hands fall and staring numbly at the ground. "Lucian did. He killed mine, too."

"_Lucian_?" Ayamoshi (Ayame?) asked in astonishment. "He told me it was _you_… that he was going to confront you."

"And he used my full name," Rayanne said, smiling bitterly through her tears. "You knew me best by 'Ray' back then."

"Just like you only knew me as Ayame," Ayamoshi muttered.

"That _bastard_," Rayanne said, burying her face in her hands again. She was startled when someone touched her cheek, a light tap. She looked up and found that Ayamoshi had moved forward so he was inches in front of her. He examined her closely for a few moments.

"In more ways than one," he said with a hesitant smile.

"Well, weren't we all?" Rayanne countered, also smiling. She couldn't help but tense when Ayamoshi drew her to him in a hug. A moment later, she returned it, relaxing.

"Little sister, I've missed you so," he murmured into her shoulder. Rayanne barely suppressed another sob. Hadn't he said the same thing to her when they were kids, knowing how it annoyed her?

"Brother, I'm not that little," she whispered, remembering her own response. He tightened his hold on her. Rayanne buried her face in his hair, breathing in his scent. _How could I not have known?_

"Can you forgive me?" her brother murmured. "For all that I've done to you?"

"I already have," she answered.

xxXXxx

Rayanne and Ayamoshi had run back to the village with the intention of stopping the battle only to find that the job had been done for them. The Guardians had intervened again. Shannon had led an attack force over the village wall, overwhelming the rebels in a matter of minutes. They'd been careful not to kill anyone, thankfully.

"By the gods, they are real," Ayamoshi said, staring dumbstruck at the Guardians who were helping heal the wounded and tend to the dead.

"Mm-hm," Rayanne said, grabbing his arm. "Come on, we need to speak to Shannon about getting that mark removed."

She led him through the milling throng of shapeshifters and Guardians. There were quite a few puzzled glances from the shapeshifters who undoubtedly wondered why their queen and the rebel leader were walking together. The Guardians, on the other hand, just murmured greetings or nodded in acknowledgement of their presence. When Rayanne spotted Shannon, she came to a halt to allow her to finish a conversation with a dark green unicorn who Rayanne recognized as Lirin, the unicorn commander.

"She's beautiful," Ayamoshi murmured, studying Shannon.

"And she's got strength, smarts and attitude to match," Rayanne said.

Lirin nodded at her leader and turned away. Shannon turned toward Rayanne and Ayamoshi, walking over to them.

"Good to see you're in one piece," she greeted, giving both of them the once over.

"Did you know?" Rayanne asked.

"That he's your brother?" Shannon asked. Several heads snapped up in shock. "I had my suspicions before. I was certain when I saw him leading the rebels into the village."

"I don't dare ask how," Rayanne muttered. "Do you think you could remove the sorcerer's mark on his neck?" she asked.

"Are you okay with this?" Shannon asked, turning her sapphire gaze to Rayanne's brother.

"Yes," Ayamoshi said, raising his chin. "I no longer wish to be bound to him."

"A wise decision," Shannon said. "That's Ladin's mark."

Several startled gasps emanated from various points nearby, one coming from Ayamoshi himself.

"What?" Rayanne exclaimed, wheeling about to look at her brother. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He didn't know," Shannon said, gazing into Ayamoshi's startled green eyes. "Ladin makes a habit of disguising himself as an enchanter or sorcerer and making deals with mortals. When he calls for them to repay their debt, he turns them into shadow beasts. Or commands them to kill someone for him, probably someone they're close to. Depends on what mood he's in."

Ayamoshi swallowed. "Can you get rid of the mark and break the pact?"

"I believe so," Shannon answered. "Tilt your head back a bit. And brace yourself; this is going to hurt a bit."

Ayamoshi tilted his head back, revealing the black mark, an ancient rune, scored in his flesh. He closed his eyes when Shannon brought her horn forward and touched the mark. Ayamoshi inhaled sharply, hands turning into fists, his whole body going rigid for a moment. Then he relaxed. Shannon's horn pulsed with soft white light. The mark flared red for an instant, then vanished. When the Immortal drew back, Ayamoshi opened his eyes, raising a hand to his neck.

"He was using compulsion on you," Shannon said. "I'm amazed you kept yourself from killing Rayanne the second you had her."

Ayamoshi looked at his sister. She noticed his eyes were a sharper green than they were before, more aware, more awake.

"Though revenge is a strong drive. You want people to know what you're killing them for," Rayanne said.

Ayamoshi grinned wryly. "I suppose that might have something to do with it."

Shannon glanced back at Rayanne. "I'd keep him and Sunfire as far apart from each other as possible. There's no telling what trouble those two would get into."

Speak of the devil, Sunfire chose that moment to drop in, carrying a package of healing herbs in his claws.

"Somebody call me?" he asked. He glanced at Ayamoshi, who looked him up and down appraisingly.

"Do you feel like going fishing later?" Sunfire asked. "I have a few people I'd like to surprise…,"

"Are there any carp in the creek nearby?" Ayamoshi asked.

"Oh, we are in _trouble_ now," Shannon muttered. Rayanne and everyone else who heard her burst out laughing.

xxXXxx

A few minutes before moonset saw Rayanne walking through the forest on one of the deer trails. The wind was blowing toward the village, thankfully, so the scents of smoke and blood were not her companions on this walk. The moonlight that filtered through the trees and the scent of pine had a soothing effect on her, and that was certainly much needed after the stresses of today. Her brother was alive. After all this time, she'd never once guessed. And he'd tried to kill her because he believed she'd killed his family. Questions swarmed Rayanne's mind. Why had Lucian not killed Ayamoshi? Had he had some plan involving the younger shifter?

_For my brother,_ he'd said, just before slitting Misha's throat. _What the hell did that mean?_

Rayanne shook her head. She didn't need to think about this now. She tripped over something, which abruptly brought her out of her inner feud. She'd reached her destination. A field of wildflowers nestled on the hill above the village. Lupines and mountain bluebells, lily of the valley, Queen Anne 's lace, yarrow, forget-me-nots, and wild daisies and cone flowers of every color spread out across the clearing. Walking forward, Rayanne allowed herself to relax for the first time all night. She closed her eyes and turned her face to the moon. This place never failed to calm her.

She heard a soft footstep nearby and whirled around. Eran stood a few feet behind her, looking sheepish and slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you." He walked forward until he stood beside her. "Rough day?"

"Very," Rayanne answered, turning to look at the moon again. She jumped a bit when arms encircled her from behind. She turned to face Eran, gazing into his beautiful gray eyes. His brown hair contrasted nicely with the night sky.

"This is the place I wanted to show you earlier," he said. He smiled. "I guess you already knew about it." He seemed to notice what she was wearing for the first time. "You didn't change out of your battle gear?" That was true. Rayanne still wore her leather armor and knife belt.

"I didn't want to bother," Rayanne answered. "And neither did you."

That was also true. Eran still wore his sword in its sheath and she could feel a chest plate beneath his blue shirt.

"Couldn't be bothered," Eran grinned. Rayanne smiled, then her eyes widened in surprise when Eran leaned forward, bringing his face closer to hers.

"I wanted to do this before, but…," he said, then blushed deeply. The words caught in his throat.

Rayanne blinked up at him. She gripped the material of his shirt loosely in her fist. He leaned closer.

Rayanne closed her eyes as their lips met. The kiss was soft and gentle, and Rayanne found herself returning it before fully registering what was going on. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, warmth spreading throughout her body. The feeling was foreign, but absolutely wonderful. Eran brought a hand up, tangling his fingers in her hair. She tightened her grip on his shirt, pressing herself closer to him. She couldn't think about anything other than the warmth of his body against hers, the feeling of his kiss. She parted her lips, letting his sweet taste fill her mouth. Mango? It was a pleasant surprise. Rayanne braced her hand on his shoulder as they pulled back. Their gazes locked for a second, conveying feelings and emotions words could not. Then Rayanne allowed herself to relax against Eran's chest as the two of them gazed up at the setting moon.

She'd never thought anything could feel so right.

**Okay, first of all, I'm really sorry for the long wait. I never realized just how bad writer's block could get! And once I finally realized exactly where I wanted this chapter to go, I had trouble motivating myself to write. So, yeah, bit of a love scene at the end, first REAL kiss for Rayanne.**


	20. Coriander

**Chapter 19:**

**Look and Listen**

Rayanne buried her face in her pillow as the morning sunlight streamed through the window of her room. Normally she was up before sunrise, but the past week had been freaking hectic.

Ayamoshi had had several paths open to him once he'd dissolved the rebellion and formally apologized for his actions against her as queen. He could have tried to become head of the serpent house again, which was unlikely, or he could have opted for a position as governor of a district. To the surprise of Rayanne and nearly every other shapeshifter, he'd done neither of those things. Having been discovered as Rayanne's half-brother, he was the only heir to the throne. With a little bit of help from the Guardians' quadrant, the position had been formally acknowledged and Ayamoshi had taken a position as a potential regent alongside Lord Ryukin, and was currently one of Rayanne's top advisors on the current political situation in the West. It was no secret that a significant number of the shapeshifters were less than pleased with this arrangement. Many of them were still wary of the former rebel, and some made their opinions widely known.

Rayanne sighed. She was really going to have to thank Shannon for her help at some point. The white unicorn had made no secret of the fact that she was willing to trust Rayanne's brother, making no move against his having access to so much power in the court and helping him get acquainted with local problems and the not-so-dark end of the magic spectrum. Still, that didn't stop several governors, advisors and other palace staff from protesting her being so trusting of her brother. Rayanne knew that Captain Alden made sure that a member of the Royal Guard was never far from her, though he didn't know she knew. While she understood their worry, it did get a little tiresome. She jerked up with a start when she heard a tap on the window overlooking the courtyard. Throwing off the covers and getting to her knees, she found herself faced with Shannon's nose pressed against the glass panes.

"Agh!" she yelled, nearly falling off the bed.

"Whoa. Am I really that scary?" Shannon said through the glass, grinning.

"Only at seven in the morning!" Rayanne grumped.

"Well, in my defense, you're usually up by now."

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to sleep in a little?"

"Hey, I hear ya. Antsy advisors, freaked out councilors and guard captains, frightened civilian population… This is why I'm glad I'm not royalty," Shannon said.

"Are you kidding?" Rayanne snapped. "Some cultures have referred to you as the Great Queen. With the way you have to keep energies balanced _across the whole freaking universe,_ I don't envy your job at _all_."

Suddenly realizing what she'd said, Rayanne bit her lip, all her morning grouchiness dissolving into guilt. Shannon had to be ready to drop everything at a moment's notice to go off and fight. She'd faked her death numerous times, sometimes leaving behind creatures she genuinely cared about knowing full well she may never see them again. She had undergone pain the likes of which would kill a lesser being and had, if stories, legends and rumors were to be believed, on one occasion dealt with torture at Ladin's hands to allow the Guardians to gain the upper hand in a Shadow War many millions of years ago. She had to watch friends and family grow old and die. And that was just for a start.

"Sorry. That was kind of uncalled for," Rayanne muttered, eyes downcast.

"Eh, forget it. I wouldn't envy my job either, but being an Immortal definitely has its perks," Shannon said.

"Like what?" Rayanne asked.

"Like seeing the looks on the faces of people who were cruel to, 'tortured' or 'killed' me when I come around and return the favor," Shannon answered.

"…" _Yikes!_ Rayanne thought. Her alarm must have shown on her face, because Shannon threw her head back, whinnying with laughter.

"While that is one of the perks, that's not the best one," she grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Rayanne asked.

"Figured you'd want a break this morning. Do you feel up to a ride to the lake?" Shannon asked. Rayanne immediately brightened.

"Do I ever!" she grinned. "Let me get dressed first."

"Meet ya on the balcony in ten minutes," Shannon answered, turning and soaring out of sight.

Immediately Rayanne jumped out of bed and all but ran to her closet. Quickly she threw on a white long-sleeved tunic with a simple green faux-leather vest, and light blue denim pants that were similar to jeans. She pulled on and laced up a set of black leather boots that went midway up her shins. Standing, she grabbed a simple brown belt and fastened it around her waist to keep her shirt from billowing out too much. That done, she headed to the bathroom and quickly ran a brush through her ebony locks and tied them back in a high ponytail. She went to the sink and splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up, then walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the palace courtyard. The green-eyed queen glanced around, but there was no sign of the white unicorn.

_Late… that's not like her,_ Rayanne thought.

Looking back on it later, Rayanne realized she should have expected nothing less from her mentor. Rayanne shrieked in surprise when something fastened around the back of her shirt, and she was hauled off her feet and thrown at least thirty feet into the air. She yelled in surprise as Shannon soared up beneath her and caught her on her back. Rayanne immediately leaned over Shannon's back and gripped her mane tightly as the unicorn flew over the palace, spinning once as she did so. Rayanne could not help but gasp at her mentor's speed. She lifted her head when Shannon laughed.

"You don't need to grip so hard, Rayanne. It's just like riding a dragon," Shannon said as she leveled her flight off.

"You're a bit thinner than a dragon," Rayanne answered, voice tense. "And you don't have spines to hold on to."

"You've flown with Cinna, haven't you?" Shannon asked.

"She doesn't fly this fast! Or this high, for that matter!"

Shannon laughed again. "You don't need to worry. I always use magic at this height and speed when I carry a rider."

Hesitantly, Rayanne relaxed and finally allowed herself to take in the scenery. The forest was absolutely beautiful when seen from above. The streams and the river that fed the lake were visible. The different shades of the trees meshed with each other as though they had been painted over by an artist. The occasional fruit tree added some color the picture. Rayanne sat up straight and raised, her head, taking a deep breath. The scents up here were almost overwhelming. She could smell the rivers, the mountains, the trees, the wind, _everything_! She inhaled sharply when Shannon twisted again, more slowly this time. To Rayanne's surprise, she didn't slide off her mentor's back. She didn't even slip an inch. Hesitantly, Rayanne allowed her hand to drop below them when they were upside-down and brushed it along the treetops. The leaves and soft pine needles tickled, and soon Rayanne found herself laughing. Shannon laughed too, then righted herself and soared upward. Rayanne spread her arms out and whooped with joy. Shannon whinnied happily, then twirled one more time before starting to descend. Rayanne gripped the unicorn's mane as they came to a gentle landing in a meadow near a crystal clear lake. Shannon kept up a steady canter until they were near the lakeshore, then came to a stop. Breathless, Rayanne slid off, legs unsteady after the flight. The shapeshifter kept one hand on the unicorn's side for balance. Finally she was able to stand on her own.

"That… was… amazing," Rayanne said, breathing deeply.

"That was nothing. I should take you down a canyon sometime," Shannon answered. Rayanne glanced at her, slightly startled. Shannon caught the look and laughed before lying in the cool grass. Rayanne joined her a moment later. The two were silent for several minutes, gazing at the lake and the forest beyond, listening to the birds singing in the trees.

"Shannon," Rayanne said after a while, "why were there shadow beasts in Hueco Mundo? They didn't come for me in the first place, did they?"

Shannon didn't respond for several seconds. "No," she answered finally. "They were looking for something else. When they sensed you, a half-blooded Guardian, their bloodlust got the best of them and they couldn't resist. That was something Ladin didn't count on."

"Do you know what they _were _looking for?"

"I believe so."

"What is it?"

Shannon smiled. "That would be telling. I'll probably send someone to retrieve it. If nothing serious happens soon, I may go myself."

"I'll go," Rayanne said. Shannon looked over at her apprentice, looking both amused and calculating.

"Do you have any idea what this would entail?"

"Tell me," Rayanne retorted. "Your people will need you in case there's an emergency. I'll do it."

"Well, I must admit you are the best person for the job, considering your circumstances," Shannon mused.

"Oh, that's not fair! Tell me what I have to do!" Rayanne demanded.

Shannon rolled her eyes, but smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "All right, I'll tell you the plan. If you still feel up to it once you know the details, you can go."

Rayanne scooted in front of her mentor, eyes intense and determined. Shannon studied her for a moment, then leaned in close. "All right, here's what you have to do…,"

xxXXxx

Rayanne was sitting on her throne (one of her least favorite activities; the wooden chair was fairly uncomfortable) listening to Captain Alden give the report on patrols when Aya walked into the throne room, wearing her messenger's uniform.

"Ray… er, Your Majesty," Aya said, bowing quickly when she noticed the councilors standing on one side of the room tittering about something or other. "There is a group of soul reapers here requesting an audience."

"Show them in," Rayanne said. Aya bowed again before leaving.

"I don't like this plan," Ayamoshi muttered, gazing at the door. He was standing to the left of the throne.

"I know. You've said that five times in the past three minutes," Rayanne muttered.

"I don't feel like I've gotten my point across. This is idiotic."

"No, it's not. Shannon explained it to you, didn't she? It's perfectly logical," Rayanne answered.

"I still don't like it," her brother retorted.

"I'm inclined to agree with your brother," Alden said, moving to stand at Rayanne's right.

Rayanne sighed and gazed at the tapestries hanging from the ceiling, woven in colors ranging from a fiery red to a deep sea blue. These displayed the crests of the royal family, the Great Houses as well as the Houses of the more powerful clans. The ones hanging on the walls of the throne room depicted scenes from ancient legends. The great bay windows allowed plenty of the morning light to filter in, making the tapestries and the green rug spread along the floor appear to glow, providing a stark contrast to the stone wall and floor.

Rayanne shifted slightly, a rare display of discomfort. "I'm glad this thing isn't stone," she muttered, glaring at the armrests of her throne. At least there was a cushion on it.

Ayamoshi snorted softly. "Yes, oak wood is so much softer than marble." He blinked hard when Rayanne shot him a look. "Could you not do that? Your crown is reflecting the light into my eyes."

"Sorry," Rayanne said, looking away again. Yet another downside to being a monarch; the outfits. In a formal setting such as the throne room, Rayanne had to wear her silver crown and a dress or gown.

"Maybe I should take it off," Rayanne mused.

"In front of the soul reapers? The older councilors would have a fit," Alden said.

_That might not be such a bad thing,_ Rayanne thought. It might do them some good to crawl out of their shells once in a while. Everyone in the room stopped talking and straightened when they heard footsteps approaching the door. Several moments later, the door opened to reveal Aya leading Captains Kuchiki, Komamura, Kyoraku and their lieutenants. Once the party came to a stop, Byakuya stepped forward and gave a very slight bow.

"Your Majesty," he said.

_That STILL creeps me out,_ Rayanne thought.

"We have gained intelligence that Aizen is planning to attack Karakura Town at some point in the near future," Byakuya went on. "Considering recent happenstances, we have come to request your assistance in defending the town."

Rayanne glanced at Ayamoshi and Alden. Neither of them looked too pleased. A look at the councilors revealed that they had similar thoughts. Looking back at the soul reapers, she saw that they had noticed these looks, too, and that Byakuya was thinking of a persuasive argument. She sighed inwardly. _Better make this good._

"We will aid you in what ways we can," she said. "However, be advised that we can spare few warriors at present. We have fallen on hard times in the past month."

The soul reapers were noticeably relieved.

"I thank you on behalf of the Gotei 13, Your Majesty," Byakuya said, bowing again. Almost as one unit, the soul reapers turned and walked out of the throne room. Once the door shut, everyone in the throne room relaxed visibly.

"They said they could handle this before. Why do they come running to us now?" one of the younger councilors muttered loudly enough that the echo reached everyone's ears.

"Because they don't want to risk their own skins," Shannon answered, making everyone else jump and look around to locate the source of the noise. The Immortal was standing near one of the pillars behind the throne. No one bothered with asking how or when she'd gotten there.

"That's fairly cynical," Ayamoshi said after the briefest of pauses.

"That's a fair assessment," Shannon answered, tossing her head. "I'd get everyone ready. You're gonna need to leave soon."

Rayanne and Ayamoshi exchanged a glance. They both looked at Alden, who shrugged. Then Rayanne sighed, getting to her feet.

She knew better than to question her mentor's predictions.

xxXXxx

"How's everyone holding up?" Rayanne asked Alden quietly as they stood near the entrance to the soldiers' barracks. The air was slightly dusty, but the windows were open to allow the afternoon light to filter through.

"They're not happy with this arrangement, but they're willing to go along with it," Alden responded. He glanced at the soldiers and guards who were milling about the barracks and the courtyard. They looked weary and downtrodden. Eyes wandered, glancing over shoulders, studying the ground, looking up at the sky.

"They're nervous," Rayanne muttered, studying them.

"Something's been in the air for some time. We've all sensed it," Alden answered.

Rayanne grunted an agreement. There had been a strange sense of tension in the village for the duration of the afternoon. People were nervous and afraid of something, but nobody knew exactly what it was that frightened them.

"I don't remember things being like this since…," Rayanne shut her mouth. Alden bit his lip as discreetly as he could manage. This probably vaguely reminded everyone of the days of Rolian's rule in the days before a famous trial ended and sentence was passed. Rayanne had to suppress a shudder at the memory of her father.

"Still I can't help but wonder if… oh, jeez, I don't know," Rayanne said, shaking her head.

"There's more to this than meets the eye?" Alden asked.

"Yes," Rayanne answered. "I can't help it. Wolf's been upset all afternoon, and Dragon's been brooding over something."

The two were silent for several moments. Rayanne glanced up at the sky.

"You know how our animal halves can tell us things about the weather?" Rayanne asked suddenly.

"Yes," Alden answered.

"Well," Rayanne said. "I think there's a storm coming."

Suddenly a loud screech pierced the air. A messenger, in the form of a large red tailed hawk, streaked over the palace wall.

"The attack's begun! The soul reapers need help!"

Rayanne and Alden glanced at one another.

xxXXxx

"They need our help, or they want it?" Jakkin muttered as the team of shapeshifters ran through the Dangai.

"I'm inclined to believe the latter," Rayanne answered. She glanced at him as he ran alongside her. "Are you sure you're up for this? Your ribs only healed a couple days ago."

Poor Jakkin had suffered several broken bones from his brief encounter with Rayanne's brother. The young soldier had been bedridden for a week with an illness and had studiously refused healing from his Guardian companion Rylla, a young fiery orange unicorn.

"I am perfectly all right, Your Highness," Jakkin answered. "Are you sure _you're_ all right with this?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look.

"Perfectly," Rayanne answered, managing a slight grin. She could have sworn she heard Jakkin mutter something in response, but then the time for talk was over as they and the rest of the patrol leaped out of the senkaimon and into the park next to the high school in Karakura Town. Once the gateway closed, Rayanne did a quick headcount before glancing up to the sky.

At this point it didn't appear there was a clear victor to the battle. It seemed that the soul reapers were holding their own against the arrancar fairly well. Rayanne could see Yumichika and Lieutenant Iba fighting side by side against one of Szayel's fracciones. Ichigo was doing quite well against Grimmjow, and Renji, Rukia and Ikkaku proved to be a good match against Nnoitora. Several other soul reapers were engaged in combat with lesser arrancars, scattered through the air above the town. Rayanne's eyes narrowed.

"Fighting so close to such a heavily populated area? That seems rather careless of them," she said.

"Maybe that's why they called us in?" one of the shapeshifter soldiers asked. Everyone else exchanged skeptical glances. Years under the rule of King Rolian had taught them to be wary of the motives of those in power. It had taken a decent amount of time for Rayanne to undo those prejudices when it came to her own policies.

"You kidding? It's just skin off our backs," another soldier muttered, voicing everyone else's thoughts. "Why can't they just leave us alone?"

"Because it'd be darned inconvenient," Rayanne answered. "Everyone knows what we're doing, right?"

A chorus of _rights _and _ayes_ greeted her question, and a second later the shapeshifters were leaping into the air. Rayanne headed straight for one of Nnoitora's fracciones who was giving a seated officer from squad nine a hard time. Hands morphing into claws, she scored several bloody scratches down the arrancar's back. He screeched in pain and turned to face this new opponent, eyes widening slightly with shock when he saw just who it was. Rayanne took advantage of his momentary surprise and plunged a knife into his chest. She withdrew it before the arrancar even knew what was going on. A thin line of blood trickled from his mouth as he fell, and Rayanne glanced quickly at the soul reaper to make certain she was okay. The officer nodded to her in acknowledgement of her help, then leaped to the aid of one of her comrades. Rayanne in turn went to help Jakkin against one of Barragan's more powerful servants.

With the arrival of the shapeshifters the battle swung into the soul reaper's favor. The shapeshifters, who had for centuries lived under the hand of a harsh ruler, were less inclined to fight 'honorably' than the soul reapers. In fact, most of the members of squad 11 saw them as worthless cowards. But the shapeshifters had adopted what Rayanne saw as a very important method from their Guardian allies.

"Don't fight for honor," Shannon always said. "Fight to win."

And that was exactly what the shapeshifters did. Due to their abilities and inclination toward ruthlessness, the lesser arrancars began dropping like flies. With a little bit more time, barely any were left and the rest of the arrancar were sorely outnumbered.

Unfortunately it was too soon to begin to celebrate. Just when it seemed the fight was almost over, a Garganta opened a few dozen feet above the heads of the combatants. Several more Gillian arrancar entered the battle, and the already weary soldiers were in for a tough time.

Rayanne, meanwhile, had managed to kill yet another opponent, one of Grimmjow's fracciones. She paused for a moment to take in her surroundings. Several dozen feet below her and slightly in front were the trees at the edges of Karakura Town. Ichigo's house wasn't far from here. The sounds of battle echoed somewhat distantly behind and to her right. With a barely audible sigh, Rayanne turned. And froze.

Standing barely ten feet away from her was Aizen.

_Standing downwind_, Rayanne noted as she surveyed him. _Clever._

"What do you want now?" she snarled, placing her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto.

Aizen sighed mockingly. "I don't suppose it would do any good to ask you to come quietly?"

"Hmm. Nope," Rayanne responded, glaring.

"Very well," Aizen said. Rayanne stiffened, eyes widening in shock as several identical arrancar soldiers appeared behind Aizen.

"Get her," he commanded. "Try not to injure her too badly. I need her in good condition."

Before Rayanne could blink, the arrancar were on her. She blocked and parried their blows almost haphazardly.

_Damn it, there must be dozens of these guys!_ Rayanne thought as some of them moved to surround her. She swung her sword in an arc, creating a ring of fire between her and her assailants. While they were distracted, she dropped out of the sky and onto the rooftops. Without looking back, she ran toward the trees but was stopped when several of her assailants blocked her path. Something collided with her back, and with a pained yell Rayanne fell from the roof and onto the unforgiving concrete walkway below. She winced when her head connected with the ground, but managed to make it to her feet, blocking several quick blows, casting kido spells left and right. Unfortunately she was tiring quite quickly and knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. She felt another blow connect with her back, sending a shock resonating through her nervous system. She cried out. Then another blade slashed across her right side, cutting deeply. A few other blows connected, but Rayanne didn't register them as something struck the back of her head.

As she fell, soundlessly, toward the ground, she barely kept a small smile from showing on her face.

_Just as planned._


	21. Tiger Lily

**Chapter 20:**

**Tiger Lily**

Rayanne woke. Her head hurt, her arms hurt, her back was sore, and her ribs ached. Great, I hope they're not cracked, she thought. She opened her eyes.

And to top it all off, she thought, I have no clue where the heck I am.

She was definitely _not _in Las Noches. She lay in a bed with soft blue sheets. The ceiling was a dull shade of gray. The room smelled faintly of a spice she couldn't name. Rayanne suddenly became aware of a strange sensation on her wrists and ankles. Shackles. Her arms were slightly outspread, thankfully not spread-eagle. Her shoulders were sore enough as it was. Rayanne searched her memory for an incantation that could break the chains. When she tried to speak, however, she became aware of a strange taste in her mouth. She was gagged, she realized. Damn, I really shouldn't have used all those kido spells, Rayanne thought. She tried to shift... and found she couldn't.

What? Rayanne thought, eyes widening in horror. It couldn't be...

_The blood rune had been reactivated. It was keeping her from shifting to her wolf form! It wasn't just blocking the dragon power!_

"Are you awake?" came a soft voice, one that was most certainly _not _welcome. Rayanne glanced to her left. Aizen sat in a chair near a table, watching her.

"Can you feel my hold on your power?" he asked. Rayanne blinked, then gave a tiny nod. She started to pull on the chains a bit as he stood and walked toward her. When he came to stand over her, she went still. Then, to her surprise, he reached down and removed the gag. She swallowed.

"Where are we?" she asked.

Aizen smiled. "A safe-house, of sorts. I had it built after the first Winter War. And I had you brought here so your friends would not be able to find you."

Oh, _crap_, Rayanne thought. And then she became aware of something else. Her shihakusho was gone, leaving her in the shirt she wore when training with the Guardians. Unfortunately, that left her stomach, arms, and most of her chest exposed. Oh, my God, what the hell? Rayanne thought, pulling on the chains on her ankles. She hissed in fury as Aizen gently pulled the blanket down, exposing her chest, which was covered in blood. She cried out in pain as he pressed on the gash on her right side.

"Hm. Considering the way you collapsed, I'd say you've had quite a few muscles cut," Aizen said. Rayanne couldn't suppress her whimpers as he traced the wound with his fingertips.

"It's incredibly sensitive, too. You're not healing as quickly as you normally do," Aizen noted.

"Of course not, you idiot! You're suppressing my shapeshifting abilities! I'm essentially a regular soul reaper now!" Rayanne said, voice taut with pain. She arched her back and cried out again when Aizen pressed on her wound.

"Such defiance," he mused. "I wonder if I should silence you."

Rayanne glared at him. He smiled and lightly traced the curve of her jaw. She turned her head away from him. She grit her teeth as another wave of pain shot through her, her wounds feeling like the core of the sun. To her surprise, Aizen placed both his hands on her chest, and the pain subsided almost instantly.

"You're in no condition to struggle. Why do you insist on fighting?" Aizen asked.

"Because I don't wanna be here," Rayanne answered. She hissed and pulled away as best she could when Aizen placed his hand on the blood rune. He sighed.

"Rayanne, please cooperate. I would prefer not to drug you," Aizen said.

Rayanne was furious with herself. He'd backed her into a corner, and she knew it. She went still and allowed her captor to examine her wounds. Aizen realized she was trembling slightly, due to a combination of fear and anger, he figured. He was snapped out of his musings when Rayanne flinched as his hand brushed her shoulder. He pressed down gently and noticed that Rayanne tensed as he did so.

"Your shoulder has been dislocated, and a few muscles have been torn," Aizen told her. "I'm going to push it back into place. Brace yourself."

Rayanne, still not looking at him, closed her eyes and nodded. She tensed when she felt him move.

"Relax," Aizen said softly. Rayanne took a deep breath and forced herself to do so. Aizen grasped her shoulder and pushed.

"Gah!" Rayanne yelped when her shoulder clicked back into place.

"You're not new to this," Aizen noted.

"Hallelujah," Rayanne muttered. And if I wasn't chained up, I'd beat you nine ways to Sunday, she thought. Aizen smiled, then reached over and took something off the bedside table. Rayanne looked up and froze when she saw it was a cup of, presumably, some sort of drug.

"I thought you said you didn't want to drug me?" Rayanne said in a fairly sarcastic tone as Aizen grasped her hair and pulled her head back. She started to fight when he brought the cup to her lips, tilting her head even further back and pushing herself away as best she could.

"It contains something for the pain," Aizen told her. He smiled at the questioning look she gave him. "It's also a mild sedative. I don't want you fighting too much."

Aizen pulled her head back again. Rayanne started to pull against his hold almost immediately. His grip tightened, holding her still. Rayanne stopped moving, but she went rigid when he brought the cup to her mouth again. The strange liquid smelled like nutmeg and cinnamon, which relaxed her to a certain extent.

"That's it," Aizen said softly.

The drug was bittersweet, and Rayanne, of course, tried to spit it out. Unfortunately Aizen held her mouth closed and gently rubbed her throat, forcing her to swallow. Almost immediately she felt her senses dull. Aizen gently caressed her stomach. Rayanne stiffened and tried to move away, only to be pinned down. She felt weak and lightheaded, and she did _not_ like it. Aizen ran his fingertips over her forearms, hardly even pressing down. It felt... _strange_, and Rayanne felt her head spinning both from the effects of the drug and her confusion over her messed up nervous system. She hardly even felt her wounds, but Aizen's touch sent shock waves racing through her. And what scared her was the fact that it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Suddenly Aizen gently caressed her neck, and a small moan escaped her. Aizen chuckled, and then his lips met hers in an exceedingly gentle kiss. That brought Rayanne out of her daze a bit, and she made a ridiculously feeble attempt at pulling away. Aizen held her in place effortlessly, grasping her shoulder and holding her still. He broke the kiss and moved his hand along her shoulder, tracing her collarbone and stopping at her scar. Rayanne cried out in pain as his reiatsu entered her. Aizen kissed her again, and again she tried to pull away. He held her down as his reiatsu continued to press into her, and then he directed it to intertwine with hers. Rayanne gasped at the unfamiliar sensation. He had done something similar before, but this time it wasn't as painful. Again, there was that strange thing on the peripherals of her mind that registered an oddly pleasant feeling.

Rayanne felt like she had a terrible fever. She felt entirely too warm and she was breathing unusually deeply. She didn't like this. She didn't like this _at all._

Aizen drew back in shock when Rayanne growled, ever so softly. She opened her eyes, and when she looked at him, he saw that they were tinged with amber.

"Incredible," he said, running a hand through her hair. "Your wolf is slipping free despite the blood rune."

Rayanne didn't respond. She started to pull against the chains again when Aizen placed his hands on her sides. She gasped softly when she felt his reiatsu intertwine with hers again. This time it didn't hurt at all. There was just that strange, pleasant feeling.

And it really freaked her out, for some reason she couldn't quite understand. All she knew was that this was suddenly different in an apparently good way, and neither of her beastial selves or she as a shinigami trusted it.

She began fighting her bonds in earnest then, yanking on the chains so hard she heard them creak. Suddenly she felt Aizen's reiatsu rise, and a hollow feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Rayanne suddenly twisted her body sideways, effectively knocking Aizen off balance. She'd almost managed to jerk free of the wrist manacles when he pinned her down again. She lunged forward, using her body weight to throw him off. In that same instant, the shackles snapped open. Aizen realized then that she'd been using her thrashing to disguise the fact that she was using a kido to unlock the shackles. Clever, he thought.

Rayanne, meanwhile, had almost made it to the door. She cried out in shock when she felt the chains snap around her wrists and ankles again, jerking her backward. She fell to her knees and felt Aizen's arms wrap around her, pinning her to him.

"Stop fighting me," he said when Rayanne started to struggle.

"Let me go!" Rayanne cried, not letting up her fight in the least.

Aizen tightened his hold, and Rayanne subsided. He felt her racing heartbeat, noticing the way she trembled in his arms.

"I know you're scared," he murmured to her. "You don't need to be."

"Can you prove that?" Rayanne said, more to herself than her captor. Even so, he heard her.

"I don't blame you for not trusting me," he said, adjusting his hold on her so she could breathe more comfortably. "I won't be surprised if you never do."

Rayanne almost laughed. No, what makes you think that? She tensed when he drew her closer to him. Aizen rose, hauling Rayanne to her feet as well. She was prepared to make a break for it, but before she could even open her mouth, Aizen said, "Don't make me gag you again."

Damn, Rayanne thought. She started to struggle again as a reflex when her captor started to drag her back toward the bed, but she knew that the gesture was essentially useless when she was in chains. She felt anxiety rise in her chest when her captor pushed her down onto the bed. He uttered a kido and the chains shortened, drawing Rayanne's arms up so they were just shy of being spread eagle.

"There's only one more thing I need to do," Aizen said softly, running his fingertips along her jaw. Rayanne, meanwhile, was having a rather unpleasant flashback.

_Blood, chained, grief, fear, trapped, the knife piercing her chest..._

Rayanne gasped and flinched when Aizen's fingertips came to rest on her scar. He looked at her face, noticing the grief and fear in her eyes and the way she was trembling.

"What are you so afraid of, Rayanne?" he asked, stroking her neck gently.

Rayanne swallowed. "I..."

_Fear. Anger. Helpless. Flee. Fight. __Survive._

Rayanne couldn't go on. The memory was almost overwhelming, and, despite the blood rune, Wolf writhed inside her. Rayanne closed her eyes tightly, trying to block the memory from her mind, feeling tears sting her eyes. She felt a finger curl beneath her chin, tilting her head back. Warm lips pressed against hers in a firm, gentle kiss. Rayanne's eyes snapped open as Aizen pulled back.

"This reminds you of that night, doesn't it?" he asked. Rayanne didn't respond, but it didn't matter. He knew.

"It's all right," Aizen said gently, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Rayanne's ear. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Not now, maybe, Rayanne thought. She tensed when Aizen put his hand on her scar again. When she felt his reiatsu rise, Rayanne gripped the sheets to keep her fear at a minimum. She closed her eyes when Aizen's lips met hers again. To her surprise, his hand moved from her scar to her side, just above her ribs. His right hand moved down her side to the base of her rib cage, the left hand mirroring its partner's motion. Rayanne tried to press herself away from the unfamiliar sensation, but Aizen held her still, being careful to avoid her wounds.

"Easy," he murmured, his mouth barely an inch from her ear. Rayanne let out a shaky breath as he traced her bottom rib up to her chest, then moved his hand from her chest to her neck. She relaxed despite herself when Aizen traced a vein in her neck. She gave a startled gasp when he pressed down suddenly, and her world faded to black.

xxXXxx

It wasn't until Rayanne had been awake for several minutes that she realized what Aizen had done. To her horror, she figured out that he'd bound a piece of his soul to hers. As long as she lived, he couldn't die, and if he was caught, he could use her body to reach his goals. Rayanne was, naturally, devastated to find this out. How could I have let this happen? Rayanne thought. In her little panicked delirium, she barely noticed the door opening. She glanced toward it and found herself meeting her captor's gaze.

"How are you feeling?" Aizen asked, closing the door and walking toward her. Rayanne managed to swallow her initial terror and shifted slightly. She was still chained, and she was surprised at how stiff she was. Her limbs felt like lead.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Less than an hour," Aizen answered, sitting beside her. Rayanne attempted to move again and winced when a muscle in her shoulder cramped. To her surprise, Aizen reached over and pressed his hand to the back of her shoulder, and the cramp eased almost instantly. He uttered a kido spell and the shackles that held Rayanne snapped open. She moved slowly, feeling her joints creak as she did so. Feeling ambitious, she tried to sit up. Bad idea. Pain shot through her spine and a deep chill permeated her body. With a small moan, she lay back down... or, at least, she tried to. Instead she found herself leaning against Aizen's chest, her head resting against his left shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her when she tried to sit up again, leaning back against the headboard. Rayanne toyed with the idea of breaking free, but decided against it. She was weak at present and, as much as she hated to admit it, the warmth of his body pressing against hers was welcome right now. Somewhat reluctantly, Rayanne allowed herself to go virtually limp in Aizen's arms. She turned her head so her ear rested above his heart. So he does have one, she thought fleetingly, listening to the steady beat. She smiled, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Why did you pick me?" she asked quietly. She felt her captor's chest fall when he sighed softly.

"I never intended to turn you into an arrancar," Aizen said. "Your abilities are unique, Rayanne, and you are strong. I had originally intended to use your orange-haired friend for this, but you turned out to be more suitable to the task. With proper training, you may even be able to surpass him."

So that's why he kept doing that test, Rayanne thought. And why he had me training. He wanted me to be strong enough to harbor a piece of his soul.

"That can't be the only reason," Rayanne said, shivering as another chill swept through her.

"You are potentially the most detrimental factor to me in this war. If I can keep you under control, I have essentially won," Aizen responded.

Presumptuous, much? Rayanne thought. She shifted slightly, testing her captor's hold on her. It was quite firm. She subsided again, puzzling through her predicament. She felt Aizen release her and was surprised when he got up and went to the door. She cocked her head, sensing... something off about him.

_What is going on with you?_ Rayanne mused silently as he closed the door behind him. Quickly she scrambled out of bed and examined the latch on the window. Satisfied, she walked back to the bed and crawled to her weariness for a few moments, she lay back, closing her eyes. Suddenly she sensed someone standing beside her. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up with a start, seeing Aizen standing over her.

_I didn't even hear the door open!_ Rayanne thought, working to suppress her wolf and dragon's panic. She quit abruptly when her captor pressed a sweet-smelling cloth over her nose and mouth. She tried to jerk her head back but Aizen quickly positioned himself behind her and Rayanne found herself leaning into his chest. She attempted to jerk sideways, but Aizen quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning her to him. Wolf creeped forward and Rayanne couldn't suppress the panicked whines that rose in her throat.

"Shh, it's alright. This will just make you sleep for a while. Relax," Aizen said as Rayanne tried to pull his hand from her face. Rayanne had no intention of doing so, but soon the drug gave her no choice. Her breathing slowed and she went virtually limp in Aizen's arms. Sleep pulled at her eyelids, but she resisted it with all her might. Aizen removed the cloth, and Rayanne took a deep breath of clear air. Unfortunately it did nothing to wake her up. A small sound of distress slipped past her lips as she felt her exhaustion deepening.

"Hush," she heard Aizen murmur as he ran a hand through her hair. "Just surrender to it, Rayanne. Just this once."

_I can't. I can't,_ Rayanne thought. _Not again._ She remembered how her father used to flaunt his power, to throw his dominance in her face by beating her at almost every available opportunity, how he would leave her bleeding and broken on the ground. How she had felt so helpless.

The memory made her eyes sting. She closed them as she tried to push through the pain of the old memories. Strangely enough, she found it harder than she usually did, swallowing thickly and unable to concentrate on much else aside from how much she desperately wished Aizen had taken an interest in someone else. _Gods, this is NOT helping! _Rayanne thought.

Then she heard something. A voice. Strong, sweet, melodic. Shannon. She was singing.

_Are you going to Scarborough fair?_  
><em>Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.<em>  
><em>Remember me to the one who lives there.<em>  
><em>He once was a true love of mine.<em>

It took Rayanne a few moments to realize she was hearing her mentor's voice inside her own mind. As it always had, Shannon's voice soothed her, calming her fears and making her forget her pain.

_Tell him to make me a cambric shirt._  
><em>Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.<em>  
><em>Without no seam nor needlework,<em>  
><em>Then he'll be a true love of mine.<em>

_Tell him to find me an acre of land._  
><em>Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.<em>  
><em>Between the salt water and the sea strand,<em>  
><em>then he'll be a true love of mine.<em>

_Are you going to Scarborough fair?_  
><em>Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.<em>  
><em>Remember me to the one who lives there.<em>  
><em>He once was a true love of mine.<em>

On the peripheries of her consciousness, Rayanne was aware of Aizen running a hand through her hair again.

"That's it," he said. He spoke quietly, gently. "Relax. Go to sleep."

Now that she was calm, Rayanne found that resisting wouldn't really suit her purposes. Quickly and discreetly checking her shirt pocket and ascertaining she had what she'd come for, she allowed her defenses to crumble. Her eyelids fluttered and she felt herself start to relax. Aizen wrapped both arms around her and pulled her closer. Rayanne sank into his embrace, eyes finally closing as she slipped toward unconsciousness.

And thus she was unaware of the gentle kiss Aizen offered her before setting her down and leaving her to rest.

_Okay, that one was kinda strange… I wrote the ending at the spur of the moment. Final chapter will be posted asap, I promise!_


	22. Death Understanding

**Chapter 21:**

**Death Understanding**

Rayanne groaned and rolled over when she felt something tap her shoulder. Then someone was shaking her, speaking quietly but urgently.

"Rayanne! Rayanne, damn it, wake up! We have to go!"

Rayanne, upon recognizing the voice, jerked awake with a start. She found herself staring into her brother's worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes flicking up and down her body quickly. "What did he do to you?"

"He didn't hurt me," Rayanne answered. _Much,_she added silently. "What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to meet you."

"Change of plans," Ayamoshi answered. At Rayanne's confused look, he spoke hurriedly.

"Ladin knows we're here. He's sent an attack force to wipe us all out. The Guardians are drawing them off, but it won't work for long. The other shapeshifters have evacuated the village and are waiting for us in the mountains. He sent a few creatures to Hueco Mundo to get you. They'll be here soon and we need to be gone by then."

Horror bolting through her, Rayanne leaped out of bed, looking around and throwing on her tunic when she found it near a small closet. Ayamoshi was already at the window undoing the latch. Rayanne joined him and pushed the window open. Her brother leaped onto the ledge, checking his surroundings quickly before leaping to the ground. Rayanne jumped onto the sill soon after he'd vacated it and glanced around.

Apparently this 'safe house' was built into a cliff. The window was nothing but a hole in a wall of sheer gray rock, roughly three stories off the ground. Ayamoshi had jumped into a narrow canyon. The river that had formed it had apparently dried up ages ago, judging by the formations of the rock.

Rayanne tensed when she heard footsteps. They were far off, but they were approaching her room. With no further hesitation she jumped, using magic to slow her fall. Her brother was by her side the moment her feet touched the ground.

"You ready to run?" he asked her. "Shannon's waiting for us further down the canyon."

Rayanne nodded. She jumped when she heard a clattering sound, and the two siblings turned and saw a small pebble falling down the rock face that formed one of the canyon walls. A glance upward revealed a more horrifying sight.

On the top of the cliff stood a gigantic shadow beast. It had no eyes and a face that resembled a turtle's. Unfortunately, unlike a turtle it had four rows of jagged teeth, a long neck, whiplike arrowheaded tail, monstrous vice-like claws and vicious looking spines trailing along its back. A black liquid dripped from its mouth, and where it hit the rocks the two shapeshifters could see steam rising.

"There's a name for these things. I think the Guardians call them Skraggs because of the teeth and claws," Rayanne muttered. "They spit a corrosive acid that eats through almost anything."

"And the acid will cause your joints to fuse up if it touches them, so if you get any on your back, you're in trouble," Ayamoshi said. The Skragg took a step down the slope. The two siblings glanced at one another. Then, without a word or signal, they bolted down the canyon. With a roar the creature took off after them, attempting to hold onto the canyon wall and stay above them at the same time. Rayanne flinched as a few small pebbles hit her head and face but didn't slow up at all. Suddenly the shadow creature gave a loud shriek and tumbled to the floor in cascade of rocks and dust. Rayanne glanced over her shoulder, hoping against hope that the creature had been crushed by a boulder. No such luck, and it didn't look like it would take too long for it to recover, either. Returning her focus to the path, Rayanne barely avoided tripping over a large crack in the rock. A loud splash and hissing sound behind warned her that she and her brother had barely avoided a stream of the deadly acid.

A roar and a scraping sound like nails on a chalkboard warned that the Skragg was once again in pursuit. Rayanne felt her heart skip a beat when she noticed the canyon split into three paths up ahead.

"Which one is it?" she panted.

"The one furthest to the right," Ayamoshi answered, also slightly out of breath. They dashed down that canyon, the beast close behind.

_For something with such short legs, it's damn fast,_Rayanne thought. They kept running, turning on occasion when the canyon split. They managed to lose their pursuer on a couple occasions, but it always found them again by climbing the canyon walls.

"We can't keep this up," Rayanne panted. They'd been running for what felt like hours. Shapeshifters were faster and had greater endurance than soul reapers and hollows due to their animal halves and thus could outrun most enemies, but apparently Skraggs were built to be able to keep up a chase. Rayanne and Ayamoshi had obviously slowed down, but the creature behind them seemed almost as fresh as when the chase had first started.

"It's not much further. Less than a mile, I should think," Ayamoshi answered, breathing also labored. Panting harshly, the two turned right down another canyon, Rayanne almost gasping with relief when she realized that this path was too narrow for the Skragg to follow. Said creature roared in frustration, clawing at the canyon walls, extending its neck to its full length in an attempt to perhaps eat one of them, but it missed by several feet. Rayanne felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when she heard an intake of breath behind her.

"Duck!" she yelled, all but tackling her brother as she dove to the ground. A string of black acid flew over their heads, barely missing them. It hit the rocks a few feet ahead of them, making that awful hissing sound as it began to eat away at the ground.

"That was close," Ayamoshi breathed. Rayanne just groaned a bit in response. She felt sick, her legs felt like lead, her lungs were on fire and she was sweating so much she figured she looked like she'd just finished a swim in the ocean. It took an immense amount of willpower (not to mention the threat of a rather painful death) to get her to haul herself to her feet and take off after her brother, leaping over the puddle of acid and heading for the mouth of the canyon. As the path widened a bit, Rayanne allowed herself to slow down. That, however, did not keep her from almost barreling into her brother when he came to a sudden stop. Rayanne was about to ask what was wrong when she followed his line of sight... and stared.

The canyon ended in a sheer drop-off. They were standing at least fifty feet above a rushing river full of rapids.

"I think we took a wrong turn somewhere," Ayamoshi said weakly.

Rayanne, meanwhile, glanced behind them and a chill traveled down her spine. The creature was gone.

"Where did...," she began. She never got to finish. She and Ayamoshi cried out in shock when a stream of acid struck the rocks barely a foot away from them. A second later the Skragg descended on them, having apparently crawled to the top of the canyon to reach them. Rayanne's breath was knocked out of her when the beast trapped her beneath one of its claws, pinning her to the canyon floor. It grasped lifted her off the ground and Rayanne gasped in pain as the serrated edges of its claws dug into her skin. With a furious shriek, her hands morphed into dragon's claws, which she dug into the creature's skin viciously. The Skragg screeched and released her. Rayanne grunted when she hit the ground, rolling to avoid being crushed when the creature went crashing down onto all fours. The creature snapped at Ayamoshi, who hissed at it and slashed it across the face with a knife he'd hidden in his sleeve. Rayanne reached into her boot and drew out her dagger, attacking the creature from behind. Screeching, the thing twisted and writhed, attempting to smash Rayanne against the rocks with its tail. Rayanne leaped onto the wall and did a backflip, transforming in midair. Snarling, the wolf landed on the creature's back, biting at the base of the neck and digging in with her claws. Ayamoshi had shifted as well and was darting about the Skragg's legs, managing to deliver two poisonous bites before the creature bit his tail. Rayanne leaped onto their attacker's head and clawed at the nose, forcing it to release her brother. She moved to slash at its neck but was forced to dig her claws in as the thing whipped its head about in an attempt to throw her off. Ayamoshi managed to snake his way beneath it and sank his fangs, dripping with venom, into the creature's neck. The thing went rigid for a second, a gurgling sound emanating from its throat. Rayanne could feel the heat and swelling of the creature's neck as the venom spread. Eventually it collapsed, gasping, legs jerking convulsively. Then it went still.

Rayanne and Ayamoshi exchanged a glance before returning to human form. They grinned at each other.

"That's what I call teamwork," Rayanne said. Ayamoshi's smile widened.

There was a rustle above them.

Rayanne turned and slashed the leaping shadow creature across the throat before it could even touch her with its claws. It was dead within seconds of hitting the ground. Ayamoshi, meanwhile, had transformed and slithered up the canyon wall to engage another creature that resembled a lion with an eagle's beak and alligator's teeth.

Rayanne watched them until a sound further down the canyon drew her attention. She turned to face it and felt herself go rigid, though she managed to keep her expression composed.

Aizen stood at the mouth of the canyon, watching her, his usual arrogant smile in position. It was plain he hadn't noticed the fight going on less than fifty feet above her head. _Veiling magic,_Rayanne realized as Aizen began to walk forward, idly placing his hand on Kyoka Suigetsu's hilt. Rayanne kept her gaze even, hand slowly falling toward the hilt of her belt knife.

A hiss of warning and a loud screech made her whip her head up, eyes wide. Ayamoshi was streaking toward her, a second, much larger Skragg barely a foot behind him. The transformed snake shifter crashed into his sister, knocking her back and out of the Skragg's way.

Their weight was too much. Rayanne gasped in surprise and fear as the ledge crumbled beneath them.

Had it been just her and her brother, they may have been able to hold on. Unfortunately when the shadow beast fell, it fell sideways, its massive tail sweeping both of its enemies off the edge of the cliff with it.

The creature screeched as they fell, but Rayanne found herself unable to make a sound. She heard the wind rushing past her ears, heard the roar of the river get even louder as they plunged toward it. She screwed her eyes shut.

The pain of hitting water was like hitting cement, except you actually fell through it. Rayanne had to fight against crying out when she splashed into the river, knowing she couldn't waste her breath. She was lucky she'd avoided the rocks, but she did black out for a couple seconds. Eyes closed, she fought the current, trying to claw her way to the surface. The current was much too strong. Her attempts became desperate. She allowed a few aspects of her dragon form to slip forward, making her feel less short of breath. Now, instead of pushing toward the surface, Rayanne swam to the side, feeling the current weaken as she did so. Once she'd gone a few feet, she was able to move upward. With a loud gasp, she burst up from the river. She coughed and spluttered a bit, using what strength she had left to stay afloat. She glanced around.

"Ayamoshi!" she called hoarsely. "Ayame! Where are you?"

"Rayanne!" came the equally hoarse reply. Relief spreading through her, Rayanne turned just in time to see her brother weave his way around a jagged rock. Without thought, Rayanne swam toward him. They reached each other and Ayamoshi grabbed her arm tightly, Rayanne doing the same. They clung to each other as though they were each other's life lines. The way things were going right now, Rayanne wasn't sure if that was too far from the truth. She took a deep breath before the two of them were sucked beneath the water again, tightening her grip on her brother. They came up again not too far away, breathing hard and struggling to stay afloat. Suddenly, to their surprise, they felt a current tugging them not further down river, but toward the shore. There were no boulders or tributaries to be seen, and the two shapeshifters glanced around in puzzlement. When Rayanne looked toward the bank, she relaxed. Shannon, Len, Sunfire and Tirel stood there, watching the two siblings as they were pulled toward the bank. Once again, Rayanne was amazed at the way Shannon could do with no effort what took most others intense amounts of concentration and energy to accomplish. She and her brother pulled themselves up and out of the river, almost completely exhausted.

"Am I ever glad to see you guys," Rayanne managed a weak grin as she lay on her back, looking up at the Guardians.

"You look like a landed fish," Tirel commented with a grin of his own.

"I missed you, too," Rayanne smiled. She barely suppressed a hiss of pain as she rolled onto her stomach and got to her knees, then forced herself to stand. Ayamoshi grunted as he got to his feet.

"Ouch. I'm going to have a nasty bruise on my side," the serpentine shifter commented, rubbing his left arm.

"Me, too. Except mine'll be on my back," Rayanne muttered, placing a hand at the base of her spine. Suddenly remembering something, she glanced worriedly up the river. "Shouldn't we be getting out of here? We're not very far from where we fell and Aizen shouldn't have much trouble finding us."

Silence greeted her words. Rayanne glanced back at her companions to find most of them sharing uneasy glances. Shannon, who rarely, if ever, had a problem being blunt, was the one who answered Rayanne's question.

"He thinks you're dead."

"What?" Rayanne and Ayamoshi exclaimed.

"I've been tracking you, Rayanne, since you were caught. I tracked Ayamoshi when he went to fetch you. I've known everything that's gone on. When you fell, I killed the Skragg and cut every non-Guardian off from your reiatsu. Then I knocked you out and gave you both the ability to breathe underwater," Shannon said. "We're actually six miles downriver of where you two fell in. To you it felt like you were only unconscious for a couple of seconds, but actually it was more like half an hour."

Rayanne and Ayamoshi were stunned too much to speak for several seconds. Then Ayamoshi swallowed.

"Why?" he asked.

"Aizen had to believe you were dead so he wouldn't try to track you down," Shannon responded.

"But... then everyone else will think we're dead, too. He'll tell Gin, I'm certain of that. Probably others as well," Rayanne said, barely managing to keep her voice steady. Shannon looked at her, eyes soft.

"That was the idea. You are safer if no one knows you're alive. If the world thinks you're dead, they won't be looking for you. And that means less eyes for Ladin," she answered.

Rayanne swallowed thickly. _Everyone will think you're dead..._Gods, even if this mess with the dark Immortal ended in her lifetime, she would never be able to come back, either to Hueco Mundo or the Soul Society. She was startled out of her thoughts when she felt warm breath on her forehead. She glanced up and found herself meeting Shannon's sapphire gaze. A quick look behind the white unicorn revealed that Tirel and Sunfire had gone, leaving her and her brother alone with the Immortal and her mate.

"Are you okay?" Shannon asked. "I know it's a lot to take in, and it's going to be hard for a while, but the pain will pass with time," she murmured, soft nose brushing over Rayanne's forehead.

"I'll be okay," Rayanne answered. Her voice was tight but she managed to keep it from breaking. "Oh, by the way, I got you this," she added. With a very miniscule smile, she reached into her soaked robes and withdrew a damp, folded piece of paper.

"Thank you," Shannon said, taking the paper in her mouth. It vanished into thin air a moment later. Rayanne wanted to ask about the significance of the paper but decided to wait until later. She didn't think she could take many more revelations or secrets tonight.

"Weren't we going to ask them something, Shannon?" Len asked from where he'd been seeing to Rayanne's brother, soft voice sounding slightly amused. Rayanne and Ayamoshi exchanged a puzzled glance.

Shannon grinned. "In the past, it wasn't that uncommon for me to train non-Guardians. It also wasn't quite so uncommon that I... adopted certain orphaned apprentices."

Ayamoshi's eyes widened and Rayanne barely kept her jaw from coming unhinged.

"You mean you want to... adopt us?" Rayanne asked in astonishment.

"Yes," Len smiled, coming to stand beside his mate. "The choice is entirely yours, but know that Shannon and I are willing to take you into our family."

"What about the others?" Ayamoshi asked. Rayanne nodded in agreement. Shannon and Len already had two daughters and a son.

Shannon laughed. "Are you kidding? Blue Moon will be ecstatic about having a brother, and Shensa and Akira will be more than pleased to keep the boy-girl ratio a bit uneven."

Rayanne couldn't speak. Emotions whirled through her mind so quickly she could hardly process them. Fear of the one who wished to destroy her, fear for her people and what would become of them. Astonishment and confusion at this sudden turn of events. Then a strange feeling of joy began to overwhelm all the others. Joy at the prospect of having a family again, of having siblings to laugh and share jokes and games with, of having a mother who would love, guide and protect her all her life. And, when she looked into Len's warm, shining eyes, Rayanne also felt joy at the prospect of having a father who loved her with all his heart, regardless of birth or power. Rayanne took a quick glance at her brother and smiled when she saw he was just as overwhelmed as she had been a few seconds ago. He turned his head and met her gaze, a smile starting to spread over his face when he saw her looking at him.

"Well?" he asked, eyes shining with a happiness Rayanne could not remember having ever seen in him. Not even when they were little children.

"Do you even have to ask?" she said, almost laughing. Turning back to the two unicorns, she stepped forward in perfect unison with her brother. Shannon and Len draped their necks over the shapeshifters' shoulders in an embrace. Sighing softly and allowing her eyes to slide shut, Rayanne rested her head against Shannon's neck, breathing in the scent of a pine forest after a night's rain.

Strangely enough, Rayanne believed she had never felt more at peace.

xxXXxx

A month later, Rayanne stepped out of her modest house and looked up at the stars. Moving her people to Adelaide, a world whose inhabitants the Guardians trusted, had been no easy task. They were still establishing borders and relations with the locals, and to top it off several of the clans were feuding over territories. It was rare Rayanne had a peaceful night like this. A soft breath stirred the hair behind her right ear. Smiling, Rayanne brought a hand up and caressed a silky nose.

"Not tonight, Cinna. I'll take you out tomorrow," she said quietly to her wind steed. The mare whickered softly, playfully rubbing her nose against the side of her rider's head. Rayanne smiled at Cinna before walking through the silent streets of the shapeshifters' new village. It didn't take long for her to reach the edge of town, and soon she found herself surrounded by tall pines. The queen kept walking until she reached a large clearing covered with lush grass. Rayanne closed her eyes, the change coming more smoothly than it ever had before.

With a roar the dragon leaped into the sky, a powerful downstroke of the wings propelling her upward. A breath of wind carried her along. The dragon spun until she made herself dizzy, then opened her wings and dropped a few feet. Spotting a lake below, she dove, leveling her flight just so her claws could brush the surface of the water. Before she reached the bank she soared upward again, roaring with joy.

She was free as the wind on dragon wings.

_End of Dragon Wings_

_Continued in Guardian's Song._

**Hello, everyone! Yes, I'm sorry, I've been really bad about updating this story, but I've been having motivation issues and a lot of homework. I'll try to get the first chapter of the (hopefully) last story of this series posted ASAP. Thank you for sticking with me! Reviews are appreciated.**


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